The Role of L.S. Vygotsky's Ideas in the Development of Social Cognition Paradigm in Modern Psychology: A Review of Foreign Research and Discussion on Perspectives

Abstract

The author reflects on the reasons for the increased interest of modern foreign social cognition researchers in L.S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory in the light of the existing methodological contradictions and recent empirical data. The paper analyzes the main ideas and concepts of cultural-historical theory that were incorporated in research by Vygotsky's foreign followers, including such prominent experts in the field of social cognition as M. Tomasello and Ch. Fernyhough. It describes the conceptual apparatus and models of development of social cognition in phylo-, anthropo- and ontogenesis proposed by these researchers basing on the ideas of cultural-historical approach. The author especially stresses the importance of the idea of the dialogical nature of human thinking as the foundation for social cognition development in ontogenesis. Also reviewed are the mechanisms underlying the emergence of dialogical thinking from egocentric speech that are described in Ch. Fernyhough's model of social cognition development in ontogenesis. The paper concludes with an analysis of the concepts of cultural-historical theory and its current developments by Russian researchers that are of high heuristic potential for the future development of the paradigm of social cognition

Keywords

• cultural-historical theory
• social cognition
• social understanding
• mentalization
• Theory of mind
• dialogical thinking
• dialogical thinking model
• interiorization
• egocentric speech
• intentional agent
• mental agent
• social motivation
• social angedonia
• cooperative communication
• higher and natural mental functions
• attachment theory
• emotional dialogue
• new psychological formations
• reflection
• subject position