How do Vygotsky’s ideas about cognitive development differ from Piaget’s theory?
How do Vygotsky’s ideas about cognitive development differ from Piaget’s theory?
The sociocultural theory is one of the emerging theories of psychology which is widely researched and has a number of applications in the real world. Developed by Lev Vygotsky, the theory views human development as a socially mediated process in which individuals acquire cultural values, beliefs, and problem-solving strategies through dialogues with the more knowledgable members of their community or society.
Vygotsky emphasized more on the fundamental role of social environment and interaction in the development of a child's cognition. He believed that the community has a major role to play in the process of making meaning. He even argued that social learning always comes before cognitive development.
The major assumptions of Vygotsky about human development are as follows:
- Vygotsky placed more emphasis on culture's role in cognitive development. Therefore, he argued that cognitive development defers across different cultures.
- He put more emphasis on social factors in terms of cognitive development. He believed that the environment in which a child grows up influences the way they think and perceive.
- He even believed that the language of a person has an important role to play in cognitive development.
- In the sociocultural theory, adults are an important source of information, therefore they also have an influence on the development of children.
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