Lecture 25

Development 2

1. Vygotsky's Theory of Social Development
1. Biography
2. Main Assumptions
3. Key Terms
4. Comparing Piaget and Vygotsky
2. Facial Preferences
1. Innate Preference for Faces
2. Distress with Nonresponsive Faces
3. Synchrony
3. Social Attunement
1. Facial Imitation
2. Social Referencing
3. Eye Gaze as Information
4. Theory of Mind

Overview

The adage, "It takes a village" calls attention to an important point: Human development unfolds in a social context, and we learn about the world by observing and listening to others. Social interaction was not a critical part of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, but it is the cornerstone of Lev Vygotsky's theory. Unlike Piaget, who views infants as solitary scientists, Vygotsky views them as apprentices who are shepherded into learning what they are capable of learning by adults (and other children). In this lecture we discussed various forms of social interest and attunement. These terms refer to the infant's ability to pay attention to and learn from other people from the moment of birth.

Specifics

• Compare Piaget and Vygotsky with respect to three issues: (a) The nature of cognitive development and the role of cultural forces; (b) the processes that drive cognitive development; and (c) whether egocentrism precedes or follow social interest.
• Know what research shows regarding preferences for faces (especially responsive ones) in infancy.
• Be familiar with three forms of social attunement, and be able to discuss how they are tested.
• Know what is meant by "theory of mind," the primary way it is assessed, and the importance of showing that children imitate intentions rather than behaviors.