Higher Psychological Functions Research Articles

An In Situ Exploration of Practicing Rugby Coaches’ Cognitions, Higher Psychological Functions, and Actions Using Think Aloud Protocol

Psychology-based research has been a characteristic of empirical inquiry in sport coaching for over 50 years, and cognitive function is widely accepted as a fundamental component of sport coaching expertise. Within the academic literature, much empirical research on coaches’ cognitions has tended to adopt retrospective approaches, such as postsession interviews or stimulated recall, thus capturing participant recall after the incident, training session, or competition. Methods such as these that rely on participants’ retrospective recall are prone to memory decay, reordering of accounts, and confirmation bias. The aim of this research was to collect a different type of data to what is generated with retrospective approaches and, rather, capture coaching cognitions in situ using think aloud protocol. The data captured were broken down into meaning units and analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis. Situated in the practice of six experienced rugby coaches, findings revealed that think aloud protocol generated rich data. However, engaging think aloud protocol was problematic as the site of inquiry was confounded by multiple social interactions and required coaches to provide frequent instruction and feedback. The interaction between cognition and action is conceptualized by the tentative offering of a conceptual model that includes cognitive triggers and thresholds. The implications of these findings can help academics and coach developers to understand the complexity of capturing coaches’ in situ thinking within dynamic social environments.

Развитие понятия «знак» в культурно-исторической психологии Л.С. Выготского: истоки и перспективные направления исследований. Часть 1.

<p>The year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of cultural and historical psychology. Taking in consideration the growing demand for the ideas and positions of cultural-historical psychology in the world professional community started in 1978 and continues to this day, we have to highlight a number of emerging problems. Without the analysis of these problems it is impossible to further develop the theory itself. Firstly, it is the variety of interpretations and readings of the theoretical foundations of cultural-historical psychology that have emerged over the past decades. Secondly, it is the transformation of the conceptual apparatus of cultural-historical psychology into a "screen" for eclectic and purely empirical constructions of modern research aimed at studying the problems of the development and structure of consciousness and higher psychological functions. At the same time, it is possible to truly understand Vygotsky's concept only on the basis of an analysis of the genesis, content and interrelation of those concepts that make up the methodology of cultural-historical psychology. This article examines the concept of "sign", which is one of the key concepts in the cultural-historical concept of L.S. Vygotsky. The aim is to reconstruct the path that the author of cultural-historical psychology himself took in determining the place and role of this concept in the holistic theoretical and methodological structure of the concept he developed.</p>

Психологическая структура телесности

<p>In the article, the authors continued to develop the concept of corporeality as the higher psychological function, and presented an original model of the psychological structure of corporeality, developed on the basis of a cultural-historical and phenomenological approaches. The need to create such a model is due to the ambiguity of horizontal connections and hierarchical relationships between various bodily phenomena. As the higher psychological function, corporeality should have an appropriate level structure within which it would be possible to qualify bodily phenomena. In the psychological structure of corporeality, we have identified the following components: the body image, the phenomena of body ownership and body agency, bodily functions. To distinguish these elements as separate taxonomic units, we turned to the results of empirical studies that use the clinical principle of double dissociation.</p>

Behaviorism, Positivism and Vygotskian Critique

Positivism, especially Mach's, was highly influential in the development of psychology as a science and often criticized by Marxist theorists, particularly Vygotsky in many of his writings. Behaviorism and reflexology, its Russian analog, fail to acknowledge the social character of man due to their reductionism, limiting themselves to studying only the simplest elements of human behavior. At the same time, their obsession with purifying science from supposed “metaphysical” assumptions leads to the elimination of consciousness and higher psychological functions from the field of research. The Vygotskian critique highlights that the positivist spirit of behaviorism and reflexology leads to methodological dualism.

Cultural-Historical Theory and the Dialectics of Lower and Higher Psychological Functions.

This paper is grounded on what I refer to as the new reality of Vygotsky's legacy (Veresov,2020, 2021). I shall shortly introduce this new reality, arguing that it offers possible ways to reconstruct how the dialectical relations of higher and lower psychological functions in the process of cultural development are explored in cultural-historical theory. My second task is to show how the new reality challenges some popular views of cultural-historical theory.

Moving from association to mediation: A sociocultural approach to assessment

A Vygotskian approach to assessment is proposed by invoking the distinction between the development of lower and higher psychological functions. Higher psychological functions are specifically human and develop with the use of cultural tools via mediation. Accordingly, a distinction is made between tests that are based on association, which have lower psychological processes as their object of measurement and tests based on mediation that target higher psychological processes. Within a Vygotskian framework of human development, the goal of effective education (i.e., teaching and learning in formal contexts) is developing higher psychological functions. Therefore, assessment, whose purpose is to assess the outcomes of educational processes, should be capable of gathering evidence of the development of higher psychological functions.

Formation of mathematical concepts by the intellectually disabled by means of soroban

Abstract The aim is to assess contribution provided by soroban – or Japanese abacus – not only for the students’ learning of number and operations content, but also in the development of their higher psychological functions. As an applied nature, it was developed under a pedagogical intervention for data collection and analysis. The eight participants were adult students, aged 19 to 47 years old, who attended a special education school in a city in the countryside of the state of Paraná - Brazil. The data was analyzed through assessment of the conversation. The students with intellectual disabilities participating in the study had limited knowledge regarding the use of numbers and operations in school situations and in different contexts of everyday life, so these concepts were taught to them. After the pedagogical intervention, they showed advances in this knowledge, appropriating both the concept of numbers and the use of soroban as a tool for performing mathematical calculations. As it is a human right to appropriate the knowledge produced historically and culturally by mankind, which in turn leads to development, teaching the use of soroban to students with intellectual disabilities promoted the learning of mathematical concepts, developing superior skills such as thought, defending the thesis proposed by this study that cognitive limitations of the intellectually disabled are not barriers to learning of an array of educational concepts.

The impact of animal-assisted therapy on psychoneurological status of children with developmental pathology (6 to 12 years)

Currently, there is an increasingly arising question about new non-medicinal remedies for children, including animal-assisted therapy, which uses the person’s own reserves. The method of animal-assisted therapy exerts an effective influence on the positive dynamics in changing the psychoneurological status and higher psychological functions of children with developmental pathology. The application of the animal-assisted therapy method in psychocorrection of children with pathology from 6 to 12 years is the most relevant and quite efficient.

Usage of the associativity principle in the cartographic symbols’ design

Cartographic symbols evoke certain psychological associations regarding phenomena, objects and the interrelation between them in the imagination of the cartographic models’ user. Different associations depend on the person’s memory, as it is a general complex of cognitive characteristics and higher psychological functions that relate to the accumulation, storage and reproduction of knowledge and skills. In the formation of a generalized image of cartographic models in users of different levels of development and consciousness, there are different levels of application of the principle of associativity in the design of cartographic symbols. This is due to such features as age groups of users, the disclosure of thematic areas of cartographic models, and so on. The purpose of this article lies in grounding the application of the associativity principle, which is one of the main principles of cartographic symbols’ design, taking into account diff erences in the levels of users’ comprehension and consciousness, outlining topic-oriented maps, etc. Main material. When designing cartographic symbols, a number of diff erent principles have to be followed. One of them is the principle of associativity. When applying it, there have to be considered the associations of the cartographic object and their corresponding graphic depiction on the cartographic product. Such technique is called the principle of associations and stereotypes or the principle of associativity. The notion of association is widely used in psychology and philosophy and means psychological connections, i.e. the connections between the phenomena when one of them causes simultaneous appearance of others. The age, education, etc., are the factors that can infl uence the level of associativity. The article outlines the ways of the application the associativity principle in the development and design of a cartographic symbol. It also examines various cartographic methods and techniques that are used to achieve the associativity of symbols. Conclusions. The associativity principle in the cartographic symbols’ design is an important element of the qualitative creating and using of cartographic models. The study of the associativity principle is relevant and vital scientifi c branch which can greatly improve and perfect the cartographic models.

THE METHODOLOGICAL GUIDES FOR INTER-SUBJECTIVE INTERACTION RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY

Inter-subjectivity means such interpersonal co-operation, which stimulates inspiration, initiatives and activities, assists growth of actors’ agency. It’s necessary to learn philosophical-theoretical foundations of this problem. There are certain regularities of transition of subjective interactions into inter-subjective ones when a certain temporary overcoming of critical contradictions at common actions and interrelations takes place. These contradictions are solved by the fact that a common activity arises basing on the change of relations, and this immediately changes the relations. Interaction can be classified as 1) inter-object (for instance, interaction of slaves at the plantation); 2) inter-subject (without taking into consideration a subjective position of another person); 3) inter-subjective (with taking into consideration a subjective position of another person). The basis for this classification is the development of interpersonal relations. Any phenomenon, including the inter-subjective interactions, can be viewed from the standpoint of L.S. Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory, but in its accomplished form. We bear in mind the systemic character of this theory which was described by L.S. Vygotsky at the end of his life and later developed by A.R. Luria, in particular in his neuropsychologic practice. Higher psychological functions are social in their nature and origin, have a systemic character and are chrogenous (in other words, they exist and are changing in time). Ontogenetically and phylogenetically, an original construction of higher psychic as a system, and a higher psychological function as a systemic formation presupposes another agent in all cases, and the latter is of equal value and personally significant. It is necessary to make a general review of philosophical and theoretical fundamentals of inter-subjectivity so that specific scientific and empirical studies can stand on the reflected and deliberated position. The philosophical-theoretical research on agency and its origins has a very long history in the Western European intellectual tradition, being presented by diverse spectrum of accents and approaches in different schools of thought. Agency as an immanently inherent human tendency to be the source of one’s own activities was studied by various thinkers, and theoretical searches of sources, features and manifestations of agency are still under way. Inter-subjective co-operation is a special form of agency; a person draws inspiration for unleashing his/her potential from such cooperation. Inter-subjectivity as a dialog of agents is the ultimate form of anthropological knowledge development focused on human possibilities in his/her attitude toward others and the whole world.

Emotional Contagion From Humans to Dogs Is Facilitated by Duration of Ownership.

Emotional contagion is a primitive form of empathy that does not need higher psychological functions. Recent studies reported that emotional contagion exists not only between humans but also among various animal species. The dog (Canis familiaris) is a unique animal and the oldest domesticated species. Dogs have coexisted with humans for more than 30,000 years and are woven into human society as partners bonding with humans. Dogs have acquired human-like communication skills and, likely as a result of the domestication process, the ability to read human emotions; therefore, it is feasible that there may be emotional contagion between human and dogs. However, the higher time-resolution of measurement of emotional contagion between them is yet to be conducted. We assessed the emotional reactions of dogs and humans by heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects emotion, under a psychological stress condition on the owners. The correlation coefficients of heart beat (R-R) intervals (RRI), the standard deviations of all RR intervals (SDNN), and the square root of the mean of the sum of the square of differences between adjacent RR intervals (RMSSD) between dogs and owners were positively correlated with the duration of dog ownership. Dogs’ sex also influenced the correlation coefficients of the RRI, SDNN, and RMSSD in the control condition; female showed stronger values. These results suggest that emotional contagion from owner to dog can occur especially in females and the time sharing the same environment is the key factor in inducing the efficacy of emotional contagion.

Culture in Transition: Problems of Thinking and Speech Development

The authors consider this psychological and pedagogical research to be relevant as it advances the discussion of Lev Vygotsky and Alexander Luria’s cultural–historical theory of higher psychological functions and seeks to understand environment as a source of psychological development rather than as a condition for it. The interiorization of contemporary cultural phenomena bears the signs of fragmentary, mosaic thinking that makes it difficult to nurture the ability to analyze and identify cause-and-effect relationships. A superficial approach to the ever-expanding volume of knowledge prevents one from comprehending concepts, which has a negative impact on the development of consciousness, cognitive and affective functions, activity, verbal and non-verbal communication, and of the conceptual structure of the world and self-reflection on one’s place in the world. Speech enriches and stimulates thinking, thus driving the educational process toward a search for ways of integrating innovative tools and methods of engaging learners in adequate types of learning activities in the ‘the zone of proximal development’. The author’s many years of experience confirms the psychological and pedagogical effectiveness of the acquisition of meta-disciplinary content in philosophical propaedeutic starting from primary school. Meta-disciplinarity as a universal integratory phenomenon encompasses meta-knowledge, meta-tools, meta-skills, and meta-action that are connected with mental activity in super-subject knowledge acquisition by contrast with subject knowledge acquisition. Philosophical knowledge as meta-knowledge has a high degree of generalization and facilitates a holistic view of the world and the human’s place in it that is registered in the speech of the linguistic persona. The latter grows from being ‘knowledgeable’ to being a ‘thinking’ and ‘creating’ one. The theoretical and practical novelty of the study is that explores the concept of self-care in education.
 Keywords: digital civilization, changing society, culture, linguistic persona, higher psychological functions, thinking and speech, mosaic thinking, ‘self-care’

Learning to Reflect: Teachers' Mastery and Development of Mediational Means and Psychological Tools of Reflective Practice

Authors conceptualize the notion of reflection as a higher psychological function from the perspective of cultural–historical psychology of Lev Vygotsky and discuss the development of teachers' reflective practice in the process of mastering and creating mediational means of reflective practice. In the current research literature the terms mediational means and psychological tools are often used interchangeably. On the grounds of the findings from the studies of teachers' reflection, conducted in Ireland, United States, and Russia, the authors distinguish mediational means from psychological tools, discuss their heterogeneity, and explore how the choice of mediational means transforms the process of reflective practice. Authors argue that teachers need to be educated to master meditational means of reflection to build their reflective practice and develop reflection as a higher psychological function.

Acerca dos processos compensatórios no desenvolvimento da criança mentalmente atrasada

Resumo Neste artigo, originalmente apresentado por Vigotski em um congresso em 1931 e posteriormente convertido em texto escrito a partir de anotações taquigráficas, destaca-se a importância dada pelo autor aos riscos de que pesquisas e programas educacionais dirigidos à criança com deficiência focalizem processos biológicos e disfunções primordiais em detrimento de funções psicológicas superiores. Seu argumento principal é o de que processos compensatórios e caminhos indiretos podem promover o desenvolvimento. Tais processos e caminhos relacionam-se com a inserção das crianças em diversos ambientes culturais e são suscetíveis à ação pedagógica. Destaca-se ainda o fato de que, para Vigotski, os objetivos e tarefas da educação especial devem corresponder àqueles da escola regular, isto é, preparar a criança para enfrentar as diversas demandas da vida em sociedade.

O Teatro e Vygotsky

As funções psicológicas superiores interferem nos processos de internalização e desenvolvimento psicológico do indivíduo. Contudo, essas funções não se instituem sozinhas, mas pela interação social. Pensando nisso, o teatro na perspectiva de Lev Vygotsky é concebido como uma atividade coletiva que pode agir na Zona de Desenvolvimento Proximal (ZDP), unindo as aprendizagens consolidadas de cada sujeito com diferentes estratégias de mediação, criando novas ZDPs. Quanto aos aspectos metodológicos, foi aplicada uma oficina teatral, baseada nos jogos propostos por Viola Spolin, durante aproximadamente três horas e meia, com 15 alunos do 50 ano (idade aproximada: 9-11 anos) do Ensino Fundamental I da escola particular Complexo Educacional Parque Dunas, localizada na Zona Norte de Natal. Os resultados evidenciam o papel da mediação pedagógica para o desenvolvimento das capacidades de representação simbólica e teatral das crianças no contexto escolar e as habilidades discentes no que se refere a imaginação e criatividade. O estudo conclui, assim, que é de extrema importância o incentivo ao trabalho em equipe e à autonomia, que podem ser proporcionados pelas artes, como o teatro, que são ferramentas riquíssimas dentro de sala de aula e notáveis para o desenvolvimento cognitivo dos alunos.

O jogo com regras pode ser instrumento para modificar o fracasso escolar?

Este trabalho apresenta uma das três intervenções efetivadas na pesquisa de doutorado que teve como objetivo investigar se o jogo com regras explícitas influencia o desenvolvimento das funções psicológicas superiores (FPS) de alunos com história de fracasso escolar no ensino fundamental. Ancora-se na psicologia histórico-cultural. A pesquisa adota o método genético-experimental e consiste em uma intervenção, por meio dos jogos de memória, cara a cara e damas, realizada com um aluno de 11 anos que estava repetindo o 3º ano do ensino fundamental. Os instrumentos utilizados foram entrevistas semiestruturadas com a família, professores e alunos; boletim escolar; observação e avaliação assistida dos testes WISC III e TDE junto ao aluno. As análises dos dados foram microgenética e temática. Os resultados indicam que a intervenção gerou desenvolvimento das FPS e mudanças no rendimento escolar. Conclui-se que o jogo foi um mediador eficiente entre a aprendizagem e o desenvolvimento do aluno.

O ensino de Geografia na perspectiva do modelo social da deficiência

Os discursos de classificação de normalidade do sujeito com deficiência na perspectiva do Modelo médico e do Modelo social são peças centrais deste artigo. Nesse viés, buscou-se refletir sobre a deficiência visual com base na referência conceitual dos estudos de Vygotsky, nomeadamente no que diz respeito à mediação, compensação, conceitos e funções psicológicas superiores. À luz desse contexto, destaca-se uma experiência que procurou investigar quais as potencialidades da oficina pedagógica no ensino de Geografia. No perscrutar dessa abordagem, optou-se pela metodologia do estudo de caso com base na participação e colaboração de 27 estudantes com idades entre 11 e 14 anos, de uma turma do Ensino Fundamental II do Colégio de Aplicação da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Os resultados da investigação evidenciaram, em linhas gerais, que os estudantes com deficiência constroem sua aprendizagem por meio de tarefas diferenciadas que promovem e valorizam seu potencial, seu modo de aprender, seu ritmo, suas habilidades e seus talentos. A partir do momento em que a escola e seus agentes proporcionam condições de acessibilidade para o estudante com deficiência, ele consegue vivenciar e apreender os conhecimentos geográficos.

Advancing the Learning Equity Agenda through a Social Constructivist Epistemology to Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this conceptual paper is to examine how adopting a social constructivist epistemology enhances equity pedagogy in the classroom. The paper thus adopts a Vygotskian conceptual framework in so far as it serves as an ideal model for improving learning equity among students from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. As a conceptual as opposed to empirical study, the key concepts explored in this discussion are in relation to how the social constructivist approach to teaching and learning enhances equitable learning, how mediated learning experiences (MLE), situated learning activities in the learners’ zones of proximal development (ZPD) help scaffold students skills from lower to higher psychological functions through the use of learning tools (material, psychological and semiotic tools) as well as through the use of learning conversations (LC) and some forms of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in the constructivist classrooms. Among the key findings of this study was the view that adop...

Pre-K children’s play: different forms of imitation and exploration behaviours

ABSTRACTPlaying is essential for the development of higher psychological functions. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that playing constitutes an essential step in children’s socio-cognitive development by describing playtime as the indicator of the gradual overcoming of self-centred thinking, with a view to acquiring new social adjustment strategies. The research activity included 64 children from nursery schools in Italy (average age 4.3) and was based on the direct and video-recorded observation of children’s spontaneous play at school. Two coding systems were applied to analyse variations in ideation, exploration, socializing, and imitation activities. The preliminary results seem to confirm that playing provides a framework within which it is possible to articulate and express the child’s progress in terms of both social development and cognitive skills. The mutual adjustment of the development of these two processes is also shown in the stepwise changing of the way in which conflicts are negotiated.

The neuropsychological approach to the consciousness in L.S. Vygotsky – A.N. Leontiev – A.R. Luria school

IntroductionExisting polysemy in definitions of human consciousness creates the major difficulty in its understanding. With the development of intensive care modern methods, the number of patients survived after coma and dwelling in disorders consciousness conditions rises.AimsAmong, the most important practical questions of neuropsychology is estimation of the patient's consciousness current condition. The solvation of these problems requires precise denotation of consciousness neuropsychological criteria.MethodsAll of definitions of consciousness in Russian psychological school, have the binarity as a common feature: in one hand, in view of the world, yourself, and another hand–extraction and differentiation of yourself from the ambient world (self-consciousness).ResultsNeuropsychological model of consciousness (in particular, self-consciousness) includes all higher psychological functions (HPF). However, condition of none of them cannot be sufficient criterion of consciousness estimation. In Russian psychology it is suggested to study the consciousness through its own characteristic, among which one can designate reflexivity, which includes cognitions and personal meanings.ConclusionsIt is possible to determine the quality of consciousness at a specific instant of time, through the system of human relations, as activity is motivated the knowledge is acquired, the affective side of the activity is determined, the self-consciousness is formed exactly through the personal meaning. Personal meaning can act as that quantity of consciousness (self-consciousness) analyses where the external reality and human attitude to this reality are differentiated. One can judge about a degree of contact between a human and a real world by indirect difference between them.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.