Ten-year-old Toby is trying to build a complex robotic arm using a coding and construction kit. Initially, Toby struggles and cannot make the arm move. His older sister, Maya, sits with him. At first, Maya demonstrates how to write the basic lines of code. As Toby begins to understand, Maya offers fewer instructions, only giving hints when Toby gets stuck. Eventually, Toby is able to program the robotic arm completely on his own, talking quietly to himself as he works.
Discuss Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development. Refer to Toby and Maya in your answer.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Cognition and development with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 100 questions covering Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, Baillargeon's early infant abilities, and Development of social cognition, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.