Moreover, as Piaget explains, children's behavior patterns are based on invention and representation, not merely innocent discovery, and not only sensorimotor groping. The transition from groping to actual invention is also supportive of Piagetian model of cognitive development.
Thinking Development -- Vygotsky and his Example (ZPD)
In general terms Lev Vygotsky argued that "situated social interaction" that is connected with "concrete practical activity in the material world" are the root drivers for cultural and individual development (Thorne, 1998). Vygotsky developed the "genetic law of cultural development," which stresses that the first cultural development for a child appears "twice or on two planes," according to the University of Helsinki. The first appearance for the young child is "interpsychologically," in interaction between people; and the secondly it appears as an "intrapsychological achievement" (Helsinki). Author Kurt L. Kraus explains that Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Activity Theory boils down to three elements: ontogeny, phylogeny, and sociocultural context (Kraus, 2008, p. 85).
What does this mean in terms that make sense to lay people? The physical limitations of body and brain development (ontogeny) prevent young people from understanding the world around them because cognitive development hasn't had time to evolve. A baby girl doesn't yet know enough language to understand Shakespeare, but she will, because "in the course of human evolution (phylogeny), receptive language skills…allow humans to understand complex, abstract language" (Kraus, 85).
Kraus (91) points out that Vygotsky believed human activity is the "primary mediating force in the internalization of extant contextual conditions"; that basically means that the meaning of activity can be seen through "tools" --...
The example given is this: as an adolescent experiences the daily rituals and practices of the high school culture, the way the culture works is "assimilated through the use of language" (Kraus, 91). Yes, sight and smell play a role, as does hearing, but the pertinent information is stored in language. Vygotsky's "Zone of Proximal Development" (ZPD) is a prime example of his cognitive development model. Indeed, the ZPD reflects the distance between "the actual developmental level" (determined through the ability to solve problems) and the "potential development" (determined again through problem solving) when a developmentally advanced mentor is assisting that person. The "zone" is really the difference between a learner's rough cognitive levels without a teacher or facilitator, and the potential achievements with a teacher assisting. This is transactional learning, not just a basic "transfer of information from the facilitator to learner," but rather the learner "steps back," Kraus explains (94), and processes the new information and ultimately views his or her own thoughts in "a new way" (metacognition).
Works Cited
Kraus, Kurt L. (2008). Lenses: Applying Lifespan Development Theories in Counseling.
Florence, KY: Cengage Learning.
Paiget, Jean. (1974). The Origins of Intelligence in Children. New York: International
Universities Press, Inc.
Thorne, Steven L. (1998). Cultural historical activity theory and the object of innovation.
Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://language.la.psu.edu/apling596d/thorneinnov.html.
University of Helsinki. (2008). Cultural-Historical Activity Theory. Retrieved December 5,
2011, from http://www.edu.helsinki.fi/activity/pages/chatanddwr/chat.
