‫ده‌روونزانى‌گهشه‬
‫تیوری گه‌شه‌کردنی ویگوتسكی ‪1‬‬
‫م‪ .‬فیروز‌مروئی‌میالن‬
‫‪1‬‬
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Vygotsky’s Theory
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Vygotsky
Born same year as Piaget…
…but into a different world.
Inspired by Marxism.
Socialism – collectivism; cooperation;
support.
Knowledge/skills must be shared..
…cognition is shared
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Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
Cognitive development depends on social/cultural/
linguistic factors.
Child not independent from culture…………….he/she is
embedded in cultural context
“The path from object to child and from child to object passes
through another person”
(Vygotsky, 1978, p. 30)
i.e., understanding is mediated by psychological tools.
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Mediated how?
Via cultural (social) tools.
Organic tools = biologically endowed
….but cultural tools = :
Technological devices
Organized activities
Industrial production techniques
Symbolic systems (e.g., language,
number, writing, maps, flags, etc.)
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Vygotsky’s Theory
...but what is culture?
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Mediated how?
In short, cultural tools = patterns for
behaviour
e.g., Baby + spoon
(initially clumsy – which end? purpose?)
Adult guidance = ‘spoon conformity’
(i.e., social convention + logical use)
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Mediated how?
Another example…
Base 10 = logic of number system > numerical
convention
Oksapmin (PNG) = body parts.
Also measure with arm rather than ruler
> 2 different ways of dealing with number but
each cultural system has its own logic.
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Mediated how?
Cultural tools not only mediate how we behave
and interact with one another…they
determine how we view the world.
The world isn’t ‘out there’ simply ready to be
‘picked up’ a la Gibson.
Neither do we have to ‘construct’ the meaning
in everything a la Piaget.
Social patterns become internalized and govern
the cognitive system.
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Spontaneous vs Scientific
Knowledge
• Spontaneous = Lower Mental Function
- unconscious - no instruction necessary
e.g., short-term memory (± 7 items)
(Miller, 1956)
• Scientific = Higher Mental Function
e.g., skilled memory (104 words)
(Staszewski, 2004)
• LMF > HMF = ‘cultural tools’
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Spontaneous vs Scientific
Knowledge
Another example: Pointing.
First: unsuccessful grasping movement
But: interpreted by caregivers
> grasp acquires social meaning (“help me...”)
grasping movement = cultural ‘tool’
eventually...pointing (an end in itself)
(Subbotsky)
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Spontaneous vs Scientific
Knowledge
• Scientific concept formation?
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Function
• “Any function in the child’s cultural development
appears twice, or on two planes. First, it appears
on the social plane, and then on the
psychological plane”
(Vygotsky, 1930/1981, p. 163)
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Function
Culture:
Selects tasks for members
Social interaction =
guide to success
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