Themes of cognitive-mediation

Two major themes contributing to cognitive mediation theory are the internalization process and the zone of proximal development.

Internalization

Vygotsky believed that adults help children regulate themselves until the children have developed the internal mediators for regulating themselves without the adults. Learning first occurs on the social level; the child observes the adult or the adult instructs the child. Then, learning occurs on the psychological level; the learning becomes part of the child (Watson, 2002). Vygotsky saw this internalization socially rooted and historically developed activities as "the distinguishing feature of human psychology, the basis of the qualitative leap from animal to human psychology" (Goldhaber, 2000).

Zone of proximal development

Where Freud and Piaget saw developmental stages, Vygotsky saw zones of proximal development. In other words, there is no single point of development; development occurs within a range. Vygotsky proposed a zone rather than a clear course to account for environmental factors that prevent an individual from developing to potential. Environmental factors inhibiting development might include bad instruction or attempting to teach a subject the child is not capable of grasping (Goldhaber, 2000; M. W. Watson, 2002). Understanding the individual in relation to the zones illuminates:

• An individual progresses through his or her zone by developing new skills. As the individual masters higher skills, the zone dynamically progresses along the individual's developmental course. In other words, the more skills a person learns, the more the zone progresses.
• An individual does not have a single zone that spans all skills but has a different dynamic zone for each domain. For example, a child will have different zones for various academic skills, music skills, athletic skills, social skills, and the like.
• Each individual will progress at different rates than other individuals and the span of the zone will differ among individuals. The mechanisms fueling development are the cues, instructions, and help of others. The individual internalizes these lessons until they become part of the individual (M. W. Watson, 2002).