Evolutionary psychology.

Evolutionary psychology.

Methodology used by Vygotsky for the study of higher psychological processes.

European psychology provided the initial framework for the theories of Vygotsky. He faced psychological and social conditions of a post-revolutionary Russia serving him inspiration to develop a Marxist theory of human intellectual functioning.

Until the 19th century the study of human nature was the area of philosophy. Descendants of Locke developed the explanation empiricist of mind who claimed that the origin of the ideas came from sensations produced in the environment. For others

Psychological analysis was to describe the laws of Association where simple sensations combined to produce complex ideas. In the Decade of the ´60

Darwin umbrella to animals and human beings into a single conceptual system governed by natural laws. Fechner provided an example of what should be a law describing the relationship of the physical facts and mental functioning of man and Sechenov extrapolating from the muscle contractions of the frogs, ran a physiological theory of how these mental processes work in the normal individual. None of these authors considered psychologist, but they raised things then dealing the psychology in the second half of the century.(relationship between animal and human behavior, environmental and mental events and psychological and physiological processes)

These three books were essential psychological thought at the end of the 19th century

The 1st school was the Wunt that dealt with the description of the content of human consciousness and its relationship with external stimuli. His method was to analyze different States of consciousness that defined as sensations not admitted the introspective method, but argued that they could be investigated by historical studies cultural products.

At the beginning of the first world war, dealt with introspective but discarded studies in Russia and EE.UU renounced the study of consciousness in the study of behavior. Taking advantage of Pavlov on conditioned reflexes and the affirmation and Darwin coinciding with the instrospectivos only on one thing: the identification of simple blocks of training of human activity.

2Nd attack on cntra to the description of the contents of consciousness came from the Gestalt, which showed that many intellectual phenomena and stipulate they not could be explained by the theory of Wunt.

This was the scene of European psychology when appears Vygotsky.

Post-revolutionary psychology in Russia.

Psychology was divided like Europa.En 1923 Kornilov gave the 1st intellectual and organizational change in psychology after the revolution. And the Institute of psychology in Moscow was instrospectiva Wunt supporter and opponent of Behaviorism. Criticizing the positions that were kept.

Vygotsky in a Conference stated that none of the psychological schools provided a solid basis for the establishment of a unified theory of human psychological processes.

Seeking Vygotsky was not anything other than a broad approach to make possible the description and explanation of the psychological higher functions on acceptable terms for the natural sciences.The concept of explanation meant much. It included the identification of brain mechanisms to establish the relationship between simple and complex forms of what seemed to be the conduct, and the specification of the social context in which unfolded the behavior.

The objectives I had were so ambitious that he could not reach them. But it provided a sound analysis of the modern psychology.

Another reason for the relevance of his work is that superiors of humans developed a critique of the notion that we could understand the psychological functions through multiplication and complication of the principles that represent the mechanical combination of laws stimulus-response.

In addition, criticized the theories claiming that adult intellectual functions properties come from maturation or were in the child in advance but that they hoped the opportunity to manifest itself.

He insisted on the social origins of language and thought...Was the first modern psychologist to mention the mechanisms through which the culture becomes a part of the nature of the individual.

To postulate that the psychological functions they are product of brain activity, becoming a defender of the combination of psychology. Cognitive experimental neurology and physiology.

It laid the foundations for a behavioral science unified Marxist in the history of human society to proclaim that everything should be understood in terms of a theory.

Marxist theoretical framework:

Vygotsky considered since its inception that the Marxist thought constituted a valid scientific source.

He saw in the methods and principles of historical materialism - dialectical a solution to the scientific paradoxes keys.

He claimed in his method that all phenomena should be studied as a process in constant motion and change

With regard to the subject of psychology, the task of the scientist is the reconstruction of the origin and the course of the development of behavior and consciousness.Every phenomenon not only has its own history but that this history is characterized by qualitative changes as quantitative.

This line used to explain the transformation of the basic psychological processes in processes more complex...

Theory of Marx on the society played a role in Vygotsky thought, in accordance with the historical changes that occur in a society and in material life lead to other changes in human nature (in the consciousness and behavior).

Based in Engels, about the working man and use of tools, the idea that through these men changed nature and simultaneously turns.

He expanded the concept of mediation in the interaction between, to the use of signs and utensils and like systems tools, the sSystem of signs(language, writing, numbers) have been created by societies throughout human history and they change with society and their level of development cultural.

Convinced that the internalization of cultural signs systems produce behavioral changes and created a link between early and late forms of development of the individual.

For him, the mechanism of evolutionary change of the individual finds its roots in the society and culture.

The higher psychological functions are closely linked between mediate nature of these and the materialistic and dialectical conception of historical change.

Social and intellectual framework.

In the 1920s in the Soviet Union the historical and evolutionary studies on human nature not were reduced to Vygotsky only. Other members argued that an evolutionary analysis was necessary to understand the complex mental functions-

Also Vygotsky is coupled to this thought that it showed much interest in the development of the mental processes.All were influenced by sociologists, anthropologists and Linguistics from Europe which put emphasis on historical,.

To understand Vygotsky suffice it to look at the socio-political conditions of his time in the Soviet Union where the society gave great importance to science.

Vygotsky's psychological theory could not be out of the demands that the Government imposed on scientists...

And his work shows the interest it had to produce a psychology that had implications in the education and medical practice.

For him, a theoretical work in a practical context did not imply a contradiction.

While it enjoyed some popularity, it was never recognized as leader.

Before his death, conducted many conferences, he wrote about the problems of education using the term "Educational psychology".Did not agree with the test of intellectual capacity...

His disciples continued their positions since his ideas remained unchanged.

The use of the experimental method by Vygotsky:

His concept to the of the American psychology, argued that the purpose of the experiment is to determine the conditions that control the conduct differed.The methodology is based on this goal: experimental hypothesis predicts aspects of materials or task stimulus that will determine the answer special aspects.

The experimenter tries to exert maximum control over materials to check the prognosis.

Quantification of responses provides the basis for the comparison experiments and to draw inferences about cause-effect relations.

The experiment is designed to create situations under conditions that maximize its interpretability.

For Vygotsky is different the object of experimentation did not come from established experimental practices, but that they flow from his theory of the nature of higher psychological processes and the task of the scientific explanation in psychology. If the psicolog processes. Superior originate and suffer from changes in the course of learning and development psychology only include them if it determines its origin and tracing its history.

An experiment designed properly, the researcher might create processes to "condense the real course of development of a particular function"

This method of investigation he called it experimental genetic method

To be effective you must provide the maximum opportunity for the subject engaged in activities that may be observed and not strictly controlled.

A technique was to introducing obstacles and difficulties in the task broke with the traditional and routine methods to solve problems. Another of their methods was to provide alternative ways for solution of the task with a variety of materials which he called external aid.

The observation of the use children gave to these external aid and different ages and under different conditions Vygotsky re-born the series of changes in intellectual operations.

A third technique was to put a task that exceeded their knowledge and ability in order to discover the rudimentary beginnings of new skills. It revealed the beginnings of understanding about the nature of graphic symbolism.

A basic concept of the theoretical contribution and the experimental method of Vygotsky was that he wanted to convey us that higher forms of human behavior, the individual modifies the situation stimulus as part of the process of responding to the same. The entire structure of this activity produced the conduct.

The experimental results are in nature qualitative and quantitative.

Detailed descriptions based on observations made up a part of the experimental findings. If is extracted with objectivity and scientific rigor acquire validity.

It breaks the barriers between the laboratory and the field.