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Social Development Theory

General

Social development theory was introduced in 1920s by Lev Vygotsky, whose theory is according to
some the origin of social constructivism1). This theory, sometimes also called cultural-history theory
gives a framework for cognitive development in children and argues that the key role in
cognition development lies in social interactions. In Vygotsky's own words,

“every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and
later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child
(intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the
formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between
individuals”2).

What is social development theory?

Vygotsky's initial ideas on education and learning were influenced by Ivan Pavlov and behaviorist
stimulus-response learning, yet these ideas later changed resulting in his social development theory.
This theory addresses three main themes3):

Social interaction - which according to Vygotsky together with language and culture plays a
crucial role in the process of cognitive development. Opposed to later Jean Piaget’s stage
theory of cognitive development where development precedes learning, Vygotsky believed that
learning precedes development. In Vygotsky's theory mind is not seen as autonomous

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fromsocial and cultural context. Social interaction here means that a more competent member
of the culture will externalize learned processes which will then be internalized and thereby
learned by a less competent member.
The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) - a term that addresses a person (typically teacher
or instructor, but others as well) or a machine that, when compared to the learner, has more
knowledge and skills related to a particular task, process or concept. This person can
help a child to learn new concepts and tasks, but only as long as those tasks and concepts don't
exceed the zone of proximal development.
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) - a term to describe the zone between learners
ability to complete a task with guidance or collaboration and ability to solve it alone. The
ZPD is where learning occurs. Motivation for introduction of ZPD lies in observation that children
could often accomplish tasks with the help of others that they could not accomplish alone. The
zone of proximal development is the difference between a child's current level of
development and his or her potential level of development, where full cognitive
development is achieved through social interaction. According to Vygotsky, two children may be
at the same level of actual development, but given the appropriate help from an adult, one
might be able to solve many more problems than the other. This kind of performance was to
Vygotsky much more important than performance of a child alone, like the one measured by
intelligence tests.

Vygotsky believed that speech and writing are tools developed from the culture in order to mediate
social environment. These tools first help children to communicate their needs and later to develop
higher order thinking skills. Egocentric speech4) was according to Vygotsky a transition from social
speech to internalized thoughts.

What is the practical meaning of social development theory?

First implication of Vygotsky's theory comes from the emphasized importance of social
interaction. In accordance with that, interaction, collaboration and peer instruction between
learners should be encouraged during the educational process, since it will enhance learning.
Teacher should also collaborate with the learners and help them construct meaning and he should
also try to encourage externalization:

“the teacher, working with the school child on a given question, explains, informs, inquires,
corrects, and forces the child himself to explain.”5)

The teacher or any higher-level partner in the educational process should always be aware of the
development level of his partner.

Another effective form of teaching is scaffolding - providing learner with help when and as much as
needed.

Criticisms

Criticisms of Vygotsky's theory usually emphasize that:

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it doesn't take into consideration gender differences,

underestimates abilities and ignores role of an individual,
does not address the issue of how outer world is brifget to internal mind,
valuing performance children accomplish together may result in children becoming lazy and
expecting help even when they can accomplish something on their own.6)

Keywords and most important names

Bibliography

Zimmerman, Barry J., and Dale H. Schunk. Educational psychology: a century of contributions.
Routledge, 2003.

Riddle, E. M. Lev Vygotsky’s social development theory. 1999.

Social Development Theory (Vygotsky) at Learning Theories. Retrieved April 11, 2011.

Logic, Programming, and Robotics for non-technical students. Constructivism: Constructivist Theory
And Social Development Theory. Trinity College, Dublin. Retrieved March 22, 2011.

TIP: Theories. Social Development Theory (L. Vygotsky). Retrieved March 22, 2011.

Read more

Vygotsky, L. S. The Historical Meaning of the Crisis in Psychology: A Methodological Investigation.

Plenum Press, 1987.

Vygotsky, L. S. Thinking and Speaking. The M.I.T. Press, 1962.

Newman, Denis, Peg Griffin, and Cole, Michael. The construction zone: working for cognitive change in
school. Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Jacobs, G. and Asokan N. Towards a Comprehensive Theory of Social Development. In: Human Choice,
World Academy of Art & Science, USA, 1999.

Vygotsky, L.S. Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press. 1978.
1)

Liu, C. H, and R. Matthews. Vygotsky’s philosophy: Constructivism and its criticisms examined.
International Education Journal 6, no. 3: 386–399. 2005.
2)

Vygotsky, L.S. Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press. 1978.
3)

Social Development Theory (Vygotsky) at Learning Theories.

4)

“Egocentric speech is a form of speech that is observed typically in young children and involves them

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using speech without addressing anyone in particular. In the following article we shall learn more
about egocentric speech and its many components.” Source: Buzzle.com.
5)

Vygotsky, L. S. The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky: Vol. 1. Problems of general psychology (R. W.
Rieber & A. S. Carton, Vol. Eds.; N. Minick, Trans.). New York: Plenum, 1987. (Originally written or
published between 1929 and 1935)
6)

Santrock, John W. Child development. McGraw-Hill, 2003.

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