Vygotsky and his study on the use of Memory Aids Presented by Sara Schaner & Mary Fritz

Background Info Orsha Gomel November 5th, 1896 born in Orsha, Belorussia Was raised in the city of Gomel “Little Professor” 1917 – Graduated from Moscow University 1917 - 1924 – Taught at two schools, diagnosed with a disease 1924 – Phenomenal lecture & Marriage to Rosa Smekhova June 10th, 1934 – Died at the age of 38 1936 - 1958 – Works banned Orsha Gomel Orsha, Belorussia now known as Belarus His father was appointed department chief of the United Bank which caused the family to move to Gomel Vygotsky was the second of 8 children and his father was a banker and his mother was a teacher He was known among his friends as the Little Professor” because he was constantly leading them in discussions, mock trials, debates. His favorite things to read were History, Literature, and Poetry Vygotsky attened Moscow University but he had a struggle entering into the University because of the states quota system university enrollment was only 3% Jewish. He seemed assured a spot because he was so smart but then the university shifted to a lottery system for Jewish Applicants. Vygotsky ended up getting in anyways. At the university Vygotsky started in the study of medicine but soon switched to Law and graduated with a Law Degree in 1917. After graduating Vygotsky returned home to Gomel and taught literature in a secondary school and psychology at the local teachers college. During this period of his life Vygotsky also became ill with tuberculosis - 1924 Married his wife Rosa Smekhova and they ended up having two daughters On January 6, 1924 Vygotsky traveled to Leningrad to deliver a lecture on the psychology of consciousness, His speech had an electrifying effect on the young psychologists in the audience. After his lecture he was offered a position at the Moscow Institute of Psychology. He took it. And that is where he spent the last years of his life. He was a highly honored man. Students wrote poems about him. The last few years of his life, he realized it was going to be a short one so he started working at a break-neck pace. Read lecutred and conducted research as fast as he could. He was also constantly traveling. Nothing would stop him though he would work till 2-3am and was not letting his sickness slow him down. Unfortunatly at the age of 38 his sickness finally took over and Vygotsky died. A few of vygotskys works were published shortly after his death but in 1936 the Soviet government banned his work and the primary reason for the ban was that Vygotsky conducted some research with intelligence tests which the communist party condemned. His colleagues and students kept his work alive and today his ideas are extremely popular among psychologists and educators throughout the world

Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development Stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition Social learning tends to precede development He argued that, “learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological functions” (The Educational Theory of Lev Vygotsky, 2010)) Vygotsky developed a socio- cultural approach to cognitive development. In his theory he Stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition. He believe that social factors contribute to cognitive development. He also states that social learning tends to precede development Vygotsky also emphasizes the cultural aspect in child development he states…….. V. believed that culture helps to affect and shape cognitive development Vygotsky developed a socio- cultural approach to cognitive development  

Social Influence on Cognitive Development Vygotsky believed that young children are curious and actively involved in their own learning and the discovery and development of new schema, placing emphasis on social contributions to the process of development Important learning by the child occurs through social interaction with a skillful tutor The tutor may model behaviors and/ or provide verbal instructions for the child. He refers to this as co-operative or collaborative dialogue. The child seeks to understand the actions or instructions provided by the tutor then internalizes the info using it to guide or regulate their own performance. The child seeks to understand the actions or instructions provided by the tutor then internalizes the info using it to guide or regulate their own performance.Example: Social interaction involving co-operative or collaborative dialogue promotes cognitive development

Cultural Sign System and Psychological Tools Vygotsky refers to tools of intellectual adaptation that allow children to use the basic mental functions more effectively/adaptively, and these are culturally determined. He proposed that people create “psychological tools” to master their own behavior He refers to psychological tools: Speech Writing Numbering System Memory and memory aids Through interaction within the socio-cultural environment, these are developed into more sophisticated and effective mental processes/strategies which he refers to as Higher Mental Functions Vygotsky claimed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development. Vygotsky refers to tools of intellectual adaptation that allow children to use the basic mental functions more effectively/adaptively, and these are culturally determined. V. proposed that people have created “psychological tools” to master their own behavior. Ex. Knots on rope, maps etc… He refers to psychological tools: Speech, Writing, Numbering System, Memory and memory aids Through interaction within the socio-cultural environment, these are developed into more sophisticated and effective mental processes/strategies which he refers to as Higher Mental Functions (put ex. in notes) In young children this is limited by biological factors. Vygotsky claimed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development. V. called the various psychological tools that people use to aid their thinking and behavior signs, and he argued that we cant understand human thinking without examining the signs that cultures provide.  V. argued that cultural sign systems have a major impact on cognitive development

Speech The most important sign system is speech. It frees our thought and attention from the immediate situation. It enables us to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Speech separate us from other species Two types of speech Egocentric speech is talking to themselves aloud- prevalent to 4- 7                            Inner-speech is a kind of silent dialogue we have with ourselves  Speech separate us from other species   egocentric speech talking to themselves aloud 4-7   V believed to be prevalent helps the child to solve problems and doesnt go away as children get older- turns into innerspeech- kind of slient dialogue we have with ourselves 

Writing and Numbering System Writing enables people to keep permanent record of information.  Numbering systems enables to quantify objects by sight alone.

Two Principles of Vygotsky’s Theory Two main principles of Vygotsky’s work: More Knowledgeable Other Zone of Proximal Development

More Knowledgeable Other MKO: refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respects to a particular task, process, or concept. Vygotsky notes that the older adult or teacher is not always the more knowledgeable one.

Zone of Proximal Development ZPD is the concept that skills can be too difficult for a child to master on his/her own, but can be done with guidance and encouragement from a more knowledgeable person. Related to the concept of MKO. This relates to the difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. Vygotsky sees the ZDP as the area where the most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given- allowing the child to develop skills they will then use on their own- developing higher mental functions Vygotsky also views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies

Memory Growth of the mind is so strongly influenced by the cultural line of development in the sign systems the culture provides Memory aids: Psychological tools Through his experiments in this field, he explored children thinking led to metacognition- the awareness people have of their own thought process aka metamemory   Egocentric spech and innner speech However, culture determines the type of memory strategy we develop.  Eg. In our culture we learn note- taking to aid memory, but in pre-literate societies others strategies must be developed, such as tying knots in string to remember, or carrying pebbles. Or repetition of the names of ancestors until numbers can be repeated When humans use signs they engage in mediated behavior. They just don’t respond to environmental stimuli; their behavior is also influenced or “mediated” by their own signs V. tried to discover how childern become aware of their thinking and how they learn to use psychological tools and strategies to improve it

Vygotsky’s Works Educational Psychology Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes Thought and Language

Our Research We went to North Hills Preparatory School for our observations and experiment. We were researching Vygotsky’s theory on Memory and how children used memory aids to help them recall We paid attention to the use of inner-speech and ego- centric speech We paid attention to their ages and what Vygotsky says is prevalent in specific age-groups We paid attention to how each child organized the aids

Hypothesis We hypothesize that the children will organize the memory aids in four groups. Each group will have four pictures. Animal, baby animal, food, and resting place. We hypothesize that the children will use ego-centric speech and inner speech to help them remember. The older children will remember more than the younger children.

Child One 3rd Grade Gender = Male Age = 8 Amount of Time = 2:50 put things into pairs: milk and kitten puppy and dog house cat and cat castle dog and bones horse, foal, hay barn, chicken coop, seeds, chick, chicken 3rd Grade Gender = Male Age = 8 Amount of Time = 2:50 How Many Recalled = 16 He was the only child to get all 16 As you can see he started with consisten pairing, but towards the end just made one large group

Child Two 2nd Grade Gender = Female Age = 8 Amount of Time = 2:56 Put everything into one line across the table Barn, coop, seeds, hen, chick, doghouse, puppy, bone, dog, cat, cat castle, milk, kitten, horse, foal, hay 2nd Grade Gender = Female Age = 8 Amount of Time = 2:56 How Many Recalled = 13 Had no consistency Did not rush though it. One of the few that recalled majority of the pictures. She was using ego-centric speech. She would talk to herself and name out each card as she layed it down.

Child Three 1st Grade Gender = Male Age = 7 Amount of Time = 0:40 Just laid all the cards out randomly on the table. 1st Grade Gender = Male Age = 7 Amount of Time = 0:40 How Many Recalled = 4 Rushed through the experiment Which Vygotsky stated was typical for his age Did not use the memory aids to his advantage

Child Four 4th Grade Gender = Male Age = 10 Amount of Time = 1:08 Put the cards into the order that we hypothesized Horse, foal, hay, barn Dog, puppy, bones, doghouse Cat, kitten, cat-castle, milk Chicken, hen, seeds, chicken coop 4th Grade Gender = Male Age = 10 Amount of Time = 1:08 How Many Recalled = 10 Only Child to put the cards in the groups we hypothesized Used inner-speech. His groupings were consistent Did not remember all of them but obviously it helped him

Child Five 1st Grade Gender = Male Age = 6 Amount of Time = 1:04 How Many Recalled = 0 Did nothing. HATED ME Refused to look at the Aids And Vygotsky said that this is typical of a child from ages 4-8 Maybe he didn’t know how. We will never know.

Child Six 2nd Grade Gender = Male Age = 8 Amount of Time = 1:38 How Many Recalled = 11 Separated all the animals from all of the objects. Dog, Puppy, Cat, Kitten, Horse, Foal, Chicken, Chick Hay, Seeds, Bones, Milk, Barn, Cat-Castle, Doghouse, Chicken Coop Had Consistent groupings

Child Seven 1st Grade Gender = Male Age = 6 Amount of Time = 0:42 Took the pile of cards into his hands and then would look at each card then flip the card upside onto the table 1st Grade Gender = Male Age = 6 Amount of Time = 0:42 How Many Recalled = 6 Rushed into the experiment Typically happens between of 4 to 8 Did not use the cards effectively He mentioned a water-fountain. He referred to the horse as a donkey

Child Eight Kindergarten Gender = Male Age = 5 Amount of Time = 1:37 How Many Recalled = 13 Horse, Barn, Foal, Hay Dog, Bones, Puppy Cat and Kitten Chick, Chicken, Chicken Coop Milk and Seeds Cat-Castle and Doghouse REALLY SMART ONE! Even though grouping were not consistent, they made more sense then some of our other kids Did not really know what to call the pictures but would describe them to us ( ex. Called the cat- castle “something to climb”) Also he just generalized the food, he knew each animal had a certain food but he didn’t specify

Child Nine 2nd Grade Gender = Male Age = 8 Amount of Time = 1:25 How Many Recalled = 14 Cat, Kitten, Cat-Castle Horse, Hay, Foal, Barn Chicken, Chick, Chicken Coop Bone, Doghouse, Milk, Seeds, Puppy, Dog Grouping were not quiet consistent He was using ego-centric speech

Child Ten 2nd Grade Gender = Male Age = 8 Amount of Time = 1:14 How Many Recalled = 8 Put all the animals with their home Bone with the dog group Hay with the horse group milk and seeds Groupings were not consistent.

Child Eleven 2nd Grade Gender = Male Age = 7 Amount of Time = 0:54 Horse and Foal Barn and Hay Chicken and Chick Seeds and Bone Cat and Kitten Doghouse and Chicken Coop Dog and Puppy Milk Cat-Castle 2nd Grade Gender = Male Age = 7 Amount of Time = 0:54 How Many Recalled = 11 His groups were not consistent in any way Milk was alone, cat-castle was alone Clearly an example of younger children not using the aids effectivly But he was using ego-centric speech

Child Twelve 4th Grade Gender = Female Age = 9 Amount of Time = 0:47 How Many Recalled = 15 Put all the animals with their food All the living places in another group Child 12 was at the age of where Vygotsky states will use the aids in an effective way to help them remember Obviously she used the cards in a very effective way She said the name of each card, didn’t say two dogs, two cats, she differentiated between dog and puppy (etc) Inner speech

Results 1) Only one child used the grouping method that we hypothesized Some of the groups were consistent Most of the children who recalled majority of the pictures, organized the memory aids into a consistent group 2) Evidence of inner-speech and ego-centric speech. 3) Our data shows that this hypothesis was false.

BK & LV