Lev Vygotsky
By: Emily Camp
Biographical Information
Major Publications
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1934/1986). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1934/1974) The psychology of art. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner & E. Souberman., Eds.) (A. R. Luria, M. Lopez-Morillas & M. Cole [with J. V. Wertsch], Trans.) Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. (Original manuscripts [ca. 1930-1934])
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). Thinking and speech. In R.W. Rieber & A.S. Carton (Eds.), The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky, Volume 1: Problems of general psychology (pp. 39–285). New York: Plenum Press. (Original work published 1934.)
Awards
Vygotsky's writing wasn't translated to English until after he died; therefore, most praise for his work was not realized until after he had died.
What We Can Learn
Zone of Proximal Development - "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers." - Vygotsky (1978)
"Learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function." - Vygotsky (1978)
"Language plays to critical roles in cognitive development:
1. It is the main means by which adults transmit information to children.
2. Language itself becomes a very powerful tool of intellectual adaptation."
- Vygotsky (1962)
Conclusion
Lev Vygotsky's work in psychology includes several key concepts such as psychological tools, mediation, internalization and the zone of proximal development. His work covered such diverse topics as the origin and the psychology of art, development of higher mental functions, philosophy of science and methodology of psychological research, the relation between learning and human development, concept formation, interrelation between language and thought development, play as a psychological phenomenon, the study of learning disabilities and abnormal human development,
Sources
- McLeod, S. A. (2014). Lev Vygotsky. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1934/1974) The psychology of art. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1934/1986). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner & E. Souberman., Eds.) (A. R. Luria, M. Lopez-Morillas & M. Cole [with J. V. Wertsch], Trans.) Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. (Original manuscripts [ca. 1930-1934])