Vygotsky, Lev Semionovich (1896–1934)

Soviet psychologist whose work on language and linguistic development is based on his supposition that higher cognitive processes are a product of social development. From early research into the rules and development of tool-use and sign-use behaviour, Vygotsky turned to symbolic processes in language, focusing on the semantic structure of words and the way in which meanings of words change from emotive to concrete and then become more abstract.

Vygotsky, born in Orsha, Byelorussia (now Belarus), was active in a number of other fields during his brief academic career, notably the psychological analysis of art and fables; child psychology, including the problems of deaf and retarded children; and the psychological analysis of brain-injured adults. His major works include Thought and Language 1937, Selected Psychological Studies 1956, and Development of the Higher Mental Processes 1960.