Zone of actual development vygotsky biography

Vygotsky’s theory emphasizes individuals’ active role in their cognitive development, highlighting the interplay between innate abilities, social interaction, and cultural tools.

Vygotsky posited that people aren’t passive recipients of knowledge but actively interact with their environment.

This interaction forms the basis of cognitive development.

Infants are born with basic abilities for intellectual development, called “elementary mental functions.” These include attention, sensation, perception, and memory.

Through interaction within the sociocultural environment, elementary functions develop into more sophisticated “higher mental functions.”

Higher mental functions are advanced cognitive processes that develop through social interaction and cultural influences.

They are distinct from the basic, innate elementary mental functions.

Unlike elementary functions (like basic attention or memory), higher functions are:

• Conscious aware