Lev Vygotsky's Cognitive Theory Of Development

The purpose of this paper is to briefly look at the history and research methods of developmental psychology, how it is applied today in empirical studies, and explore my current career path in this field. Developmental psychology is a sub-field of psychology that began in the late 19th century due to an increased interest in the development of children. Two relevant developmental psychology theories are Lev Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory and Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Theory of Development. Developmental psychologists utilize various research methods such as observation and archival research to help them answer questions and gain a better understanding of how and why children and adults change over time. Two empirical studies show that …show more content…
He noted that scaffolding or support from and adult or older peer helped children learn how to complete a task (Gallagher, 1999). According to Vygotsky, the distance between a child’s ability to perform a task with assistance or guidance and the child’s ability to complete it themselves without help is known as the he Zone of Proximal Development (Gallagher, 1999). He felt that a child’s culture played a huge role in his learning whereas Piaget believed that children learn from observing and exploring their environment independently regardless of culture (Gallagher, …show more content…
He felt hat each stage of a child’s development was based on a particular body part and all rooted in a sexual base (“On Psychosexual development,” n.d.). After spending years observing children, he developed his Psycho-Sexual Stages of Development theory. If any conflicts occur during any one these stages the child could develop personality and behavior problem (“On Psychosexual development,” n.d.). He theorized that a person’s personality is made up of the id, ego, and the superego (“On Psychosexual development,” n.d.). According to Freud, conflicts that occur during each of these stages can have a lifelong influence on personality and behavior (“On Psychosexual development,” n.d.). He believed that both biology and a child’s environment affected their behavior (“On Psychosexual development,” n.d.). Developmental psychology is the study how people change over time and the developmental stages of a person’s life. Developmental psychologists conduct research using various methods. Until recently, psychologists such as Piaget and Vygotsky focused on infancy and childhood which are the most formative years. But as people are living longer and longer, developmental psychologists are becoming progressively more interested in the aging