Vygotsky

Psychology courses require the study of famous psychologists. Famous Psychologists are studied because their theories are still relevant today and have assisted in leading us to where we are at in psychological understanding and research.

Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a Soviet psychologist who proposed the following theories:

• Human development
• Cultural development
• Biosocial development

Vygotsky maintained that higher cognitive functions in children results through practical activity in a social environment. This structure leads to the development of reason. Paper Masters has many writers that can assist you by writing a custom research paper on a famous psychologists such as Lev Vygotsky.

Vygotsky and Human Development

As a developmental psychologist, Vygotsky introduced the idea of the Zone of Proximal Development. This is the difference between what a learner can achieve on his or her own and what that person can do with help. Vygotsky believed that the role and philosophy of education was to provide the student with experiences that fall within their zone, which advances learning. However, these theories were largely uncompleted at the time of Vygotsky's early death.

In his brief career, Vygotsky studied childhood development, especially the significance of interpersonal communication. Vygotsky was especially interested in internalization, by which the child learns an idea or task, such as riding a bicycle, through activity within society.

Vygotsky's Theories

Vygotsky's theories were highly controversial in the Soviet Union during his lifetime. Following his death from tuberculosis in 1934, much of his work was ignored in the West until its revival in the 1970s. His work was frequently criticized through the 1990s, but has enjoyed some revisionist acceptance. His zone of proximal development has been especially influential in educational theory.