Vygotsky’s psychological views — страница 4

works. Vygotsky’s Theoretical Approach The three themes that form the core of Vygotsky's theoretical framework are (1) a reliance on a genetic or developmental method; (2) the claim that higher mental processes in the individual have their origin in social processes; and (3) the claim that mental processes can be understood only if we understand the tools and signs that mediate them. Each of these themes can be fully understood only by taking into account its interrelationships with the others. Vygotsky originated the cultural and historical concept in psychology which has received further development in psychological theories of the activity worked out by A. N. Leont’ev, A. R. Luria, P. Ya. Gal’perin, D. B. El’konin and others. The main idea of Vygotsky’s creative work

is thesis about the socio-historical nature of human mentality, human consciousness as opposed to naturalism with its various forms. Following the idea of the socio-historical nature of mentality, Vygotsky interpreted the social environment not as “factor”, but as “source” of person’s development. In child’s development, he said, there are two bound lines. The first is natural maturing. The second consists in mastering the culture, ways of behaviour and thinking. Systems of signs, symbols (for example, language, script, notation, etc.) are auxiliary methods of organization of the behaviour and thinking which the mankind has created during the historical development. Vygotsky introduced thesis about higher mental processes (thinking in concepts, reasonable speech,

logic memory, voluntary attention, etc.) as specifically human form of mentality. Child’s mastering the connection between sign and value, use of speech by application of instruments marks occurrence of new psychological functions, systems underlying higher mental processes which distinguish person’s behaviour from animal’s one. Vygotsky made his most important and unique contribution with the concept of mediation. The notion of mediation (oposredovanie) became increasingly important and well formulated in Vygotsky's theory of human mental functioning. Mediation of the development of human mentality by means of “psychological instruments” is also characterized that operation of the sign use, standing in the beginning of development of each of higher mental processes,

primordially has the form of external activity, i.e. turns from interpsychic in intrapsychic. This transformation passes some stages. Initial one is connected with the other person (adult) with the help of the certain means operates behaviour of the child, directing realization of his any "natural", involuntary function. At the second stage the child himself becomes the subject and, using given psychological instrument, directs behaviour of another (believing him as object). At the following stage the child starts to apply to himself (as to object) those ways of management of behaviour which others applied to him, and he - to the others. Thus, Vygotsky wrote, each mental function appears on the stage twice - at first as collective, social activity, and then as an inner

way of child’s thinking. Between these two “appearances” is located the process of interiorization, the function “taking roots” inside. Back process of interiorization is also possible – process of exteriorization - removal outside the results of cerebration which are carried out all over again as an intention in the internal plan. Transition from interpsychic to intrapsychic functions occurs in cooperation with other children and in child’s dialogue with the adult. Vygotsky emphasized the important role of relations between the child’s person and the social environment surrounding him at each age step. These relations vary from age to age and make “completely original, specific to the given age, exclusive and unique relation between the child and the reality

surrounding him, first of all social one. We shall name this relation a social situation of development at the given age ». From researches of child’s mental development appeared a new approach to studying the relation between development and training. Higher mental processes have as the source cooperation and training. The conclusion about the leading part of training in mental development has been made. It means that training goes ahead of development. The area accessible to the child in cooperation has received the name of a zone of the nearest development; area self-administered is an area of actual development. “The zone of the nearest development has more direct value for changes of intellectual development and success of training, than an actual level of their