Vygotsky, Lev Semyonovich - (b. 1896 Gome’, Byelorus, d. 1934, Moscow). Vygotsky was one of the significant postrevolutionary Soviet psychologists. He argued for the inclusion within psychology of the study of consciousness, however he rejected introspection as a method.
Studied at First State University of Moscow between 1913 and 1917. Vygotsky held positions at Second State University, Moscow, and at the Institute of Psychology, Moscow. Vygotsky was one of the significant postrevolutionary Soviet psychologists. He argued for the inclusion within psychology of the study of consciousness, however he rejected introspection as a method. A study of mind, as opposed to just behavior, was necessary to distinguish human beings from lower animals. Vygotsky developed a test that bears his name, designed to test concept formation by having the subject group blocks according to different properties of blocks. In his best known work, Thought and Language (1962), Vygotsky considered the determining factor of a child’s psychological development to be social development, especially language development. The meanings of words change as a child develops, and this, in turn, causes changes in the child’s mental structure. Vygotsky also conducted psychopathological studies. He was one of the first psychologists to investigate conceptualization in schizophrenia.
Corsini, Raymond J., ed. (1994). Encyclopedia of psychology. John Wiley.& Sons, Inc. [bookstore]
Zusne, Leonard (1984). Biographical dictionary of psychology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. [bookstore]
Thanks to our sponsors: Logo design by logobee