Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEarly LifeTheoriesContributions to PsychologyPiaget vs. VygotskyFrequently Asked Questions

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Table of Contents

Early Life

Theories

Contributions to Psychology

Piaget vs. Vygotsky

Frequently Asked Questions

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Lev Vygotsky’s Early Life

Lev Vygotsky was born November 17, 1896, in Orsha, a city in the western Russian Empire. In 1917, he earned a law degree at Moscow State University, where he studied a range of topics including sociology, linguistics, psychology, and philosophy.

His formal work in psychology began in 1924 at Moscow’s Institute of Psychology. He completed a dissertation in 1925 on the psychology of art but was awarded his degree in absentia due to an acute tuberculosis relapse that left him incapacitated for a year.

Lev Vygotsky’s Theories

Vygotsky was a prolific writer, publishing six books on psychology in 10 years. His interests were diverse but often centered on child development, education, the psychology of art, and language development. He developed several important theories about the way children learn and grow within culture and society.

The Zone of Proximal Development

In other words, the zone is the gap between what a child knows and what they do not. Acquiring the missing information requires skills that a child does not yet possess or cannot use independently, but can with the help of a “more knowledgeable other.”

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

The More Knowledgeable Other

Vygotsky’s “more knowledgeable other” is a person who has greater knowledge and skills than the learner. Often, this is an adult such as a parent or teacher who provides educational opportunities, such as guided instruction, within a child’s zone of proximal development.

No matter who serves as the more knowledgeable other, the key is that they provide the needed social instruction within the zone of proximal development when the learner is sensitive to guidance.

Sociocultural Theory

Lev Vygotsky also suggested thathuman developmentresults from a dynamic interaction between individuals and society. Through this interaction, children learn gradually and continuously from parents and teachers.

However, this learning varies from one culture to the next. It’s important to note that Vygotsky’s theory emphasizes the dynamic nature of this interaction. Society does not just impact people; people also affect their society.

If you’re interested in reading some of Vygotsky’s works, many of his writings are available in full-text format at theVygotsky Internet Archive.

Lev Vygotsky’s Contributions to Psychology

Vygotsky’s died of tuberculosis on June 11, 1934, when he was just 37. Still, Vygotsky is considered a formative thinker in psychology, and much of his work is still being discovered and explored today.

Although he was a contemporary ofSkinner,Pavlov,Freud, andPiaget, Vygotsky never attained their level of eminence during his lifetime. The Russian Communist Party often criticized Vygotsky’s work, making his writings largely inaccessible to the rest of the world. His premature death also contributed to his obscurity.

Despite this, Vygotsky’s work has continued to grow in influence since his death— particularly in the fields of developmental andeducational psychology.

Lev Vygotsky, “Mind in Society,” 1978Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of many specialised abilities for thinking about a variety of things.

Lev Vygotsky, “Mind in Society,” 1978

Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of many specialised abilities for thinking about a variety of things.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that Vygotsky’s theories became known outside of Russia, as new concepts and ideas emerged in the fields of educational anddevelopmental psychology. Since then, Vygotsky’s works have been translated many times over and have gained international recognition, particularly in the area of education.

In a ranking of eminent psychologists, Vygotsky was identified as the 83rd most influential psychologist during the 20th century.

Jean Piaget vs. Lev Vygotsky

Jean Piaget and Vygotsky were contemporaries, yet Vygotsky’s ideas did not become well known until long after his death. Although their theories on child development have some similarities, there are also significant differences.

Vygotsky’s TheorySays cultural differences have a dramatic effect on developmentEmphasizes the importance of more knowledgeable othersHeavily stresses language’s role in developmentPiaget’s TheoryBreaks development into a series of predetermined stagesSuggests development is largely universalFocuses on peer interactionLargely ignores the role of language

Vygotsky’s TheorySays cultural differences have a dramatic effect on developmentEmphasizes the importance of more knowledgeable othersHeavily stresses language’s role in development

Says cultural differences have a dramatic effect on development

Emphasizes the importance of more knowledgeable others

Heavily stresses language’s role in development

Piaget’s TheoryBreaks development into a series of predetermined stagesSuggests development is largely universalFocuses on peer interactionLargely ignores the role of language

Breaks development into a series of predetermined stages

Suggests development is largely universal

Focuses on peer interaction

Largely ignores the role of language

A Word From Verywell

Although he was not well-known in his lifetime, Lev Vygotsky made significant contributions to psychology. Vygotsky’s theories on child development and learning influence how we think about education and development today.

Frequently Asked QuestionsVygotsky theorized that cognitive development occurs in collaboration with others and could not happen in the absence of language and interaction. Piaget believed that children learn independently and come to their own individual understanding of the world.Learn More:Child Development Theories and ExamplesBoth Piaget and Vygotsky acknowledged the role of peer interaction in children’s learning, a gradual process that happens in sequential stages. They felt that nature and nurture both play important roles in this process.Learn More:10 of the Most Influential PsychologistsOne way is in the application of the zone of proximal development theory. Students best bridge the gap between what they know and what they don’t in an ongoing process that involves both group interaction and scaffolded levels of instruction. This allows them to learn new concepts while also developing social skills.

Vygotsky theorized that cognitive development occurs in collaboration with others and could not happen in the absence of language and interaction. Piaget believed that children learn independently and come to their own individual understanding of the world.Learn More:Child Development Theories and Examples

Vygotsky theorized that cognitive development occurs in collaboration with others and could not happen in the absence of language and interaction. Piaget believed that children learn independently and come to their own individual understanding of the world.

Learn More:Child Development Theories and Examples

Both Piaget and Vygotsky acknowledged the role of peer interaction in children’s learning, a gradual process that happens in sequential stages. They felt that nature and nurture both play important roles in this process.Learn More:10 of the Most Influential Psychologists

Both Piaget and Vygotsky acknowledged the role of peer interaction in children’s learning, a gradual process that happens in sequential stages. They felt that nature and nurture both play important roles in this process.

Learn More:10 of the Most Influential Psychologists

One way is in the application of the zone of proximal development theory. Students best bridge the gap between what they know and what they don’t in an ongoing process that involves both group interaction and scaffolded levels of instruction. This allows them to learn new concepts while also developing social skills.

1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Haggbloom SJ, Warnick JE, Jones VK, et al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Rev Gen Psychol. 2002;6(2):139–152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139Additional ReadingVygotsky LS.Thought and Language. Kozulin A, trans. The MIT Press.Vygotsky LS.Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.Vygotsky LS.Thinking and Speech. Minick N, trans. Plenum Press.Woolfolk AE.Educational Psychology(14th ed). Pearson.

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Haggbloom SJ, Warnick JE, Jones VK, et al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Rev Gen Psychol. 2002;6(2):139–152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139Additional ReadingVygotsky LS.Thought and Language. Kozulin A, trans. The MIT Press.Vygotsky LS.Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.Vygotsky LS.Thinking and Speech. Minick N, trans. Plenum Press.Woolfolk AE.Educational Psychology(14th ed). Pearson.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Haggbloom SJ, Warnick JE, Jones VK, et al.The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.Rev Gen Psychol. 2002;6(2):139–152. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.2.139

Vygotsky LS.Thought and Language. Kozulin A, trans. The MIT Press.Vygotsky LS.Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.Vygotsky LS.Thinking and Speech. Minick N, trans. Plenum Press.Woolfolk AE.Educational Psychology(14th ed). Pearson.

Vygotsky LS.Thought and Language. Kozulin A, trans. The MIT Press.

Vygotsky LS.Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.

Vygotsky LS.Thinking and Speech. Minick N, trans. Plenum Press.

Woolfolk AE.Educational Psychology(14th ed). Pearson.

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