Learning Disabilities and ADHD Lab, Learning Disabilities and ADHD Lab, Moscow City University of Psychology and Education Moscow City University of Psychology and Education

Vygotsky’s understanding of thought Vygotsky’s understanding of thought as related to the construction of the as related to the construction of the model of situation during picture model of situation during picture interpretation in 5-7-year-old childreninterpretation in 5-7-year-old children

Ksenia V. ZasypkinaKsenia V. Zasypkina

Co-authors:Co-authors: Antonina A. RomanovaAntonina A. Romanova

Tatiana V. Akhutina Tatiana V. Akhutina

Psychology Department, Psychology Department, Moscow State UniversityMoscow State University

22The theoretical basis for the research The theoretical basis for the research

The concept of speech and thinking by L.S. The concept of speech and thinking by L.S. VygotskyVygotsky

The concept of system dynamic organization The concept of system dynamic organization and localization of mental functions by and localization of mental functions by A.R.LuriaA.R.Luria

In this research we examine the difference of In this research we examine the difference of development and realization of development and realization of structural functional structural functional components components of mental functionsof mental functions

In particular we consider the In particular we consider the impact of the right and leftimpact of the right and left hemispheres into the semantic organization of speech hemispheres into the semantic organization of speech

33Experimental sample Experimental sample

11 11 girlsgirls andand 14 14 boysboys

The 1st group: The 1st group: 25 children25 children, attending the elder , attending the elder groups of the kindergarten, their average age is 5 groups of the kindergarten, their average age is 5 years 7 months (5.2 - 6.6)years 7 months (5.2 - 6.6)

The 2nd group – The 2nd group – 21 children21 children of the 1st school year, of the 1st school year, their average age is 7 years 4 months (6.12 – 8.0)their average age is 7 years 4 months (6.12 – 8.0)

10 10 girlsgirls andand 11 11 boysboys

44The investigation methodsThe investigation methods

Neuropsychological children assessment according to the Neuropsychological children assessment according to the method developed in the Laboratory of Neuropsychology method developed in the Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Lomonosov Moscow State University (Akhutina et al.)of Lomonosov Moscow State University (Akhutina et al.)

This assessment battery based on This assessment battery based on Luria neuropsihological approachLuria neuropsihological approach and and

examineexamine::

executive functionsexecutive functions

visual and spatial functions visual and spatial functions

auditory-verbal processes and so onauditory-verbal processes and so on

55The children’s speech investigationThe children’s speech investigation

Naming of the objects and the actionsNaming of the objects and the actions

Constructing sentences according to the pictures Constructing sentences according to the pictures

Repeating sentences Repeating sentences

Retelling the storyRetelling the story

Making up stories on the series of pictures Making up stories on the series of pictures

66ResultsResults

On the basis of neuropsychological testing data On the basis of neuropsychological testing data interpretation and after counting the interpretation and after counting the neuropsychological indexes two groups of neuropsychological indexes two groups of children were ear-marked:children were ear-marked:

children with comparative weakness of children with comparative weakness of the left hemispherethe left hemisphere

children with comparative weakness of children with comparative weakness of the right hemispherethe right hemisphere

77Constructing sentences according to the picturesConstructing sentences according to the pictures

88Right hemisphere Left hemisphereRight hemisphere Left hemisphere

functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

The sun sets The sun sets

The man and the The man and the

woman are working woman are working

The girl has brought The girl has brought

flowers to her mother flowers to her mother

The boy wants the The boy wants the

ball ball

The sun is shining and the The sun is shining and the

lake is becoming smaller and lake is becoming smaller and

smaller smaller The elderly lady wants to give The elderly lady wants to give a cakea cake

A man invited a woman to his A man invited a woman to his

place place

A granny… A stick in his A granny… A stick in his

hand…Something unclear… hand…Something unclear…

99ResultsResults

The group The group testedtested

Semantically Semantically correct answers correct answers

IncompleteIncomplete Wrong Wrong sense sense

Relative Relative weakness of weakness of LH (N=19) LH (N=19)

69% 69%

(132(132 answers answers))

29% (55)29% (55) 2% (3)2% (3)

Relative Relative weakness of weakness of RH (N=15) RH (N=15)

73% 73%

(110 (110 answersanswers))

12% (18)12% (18) 15% (22)15% (22)

The differences between the groups in the number of mistakes• on the T-criteria t<0,003 for the incompleteness and t<0,005 for the wrong sense•considerably it is 0,003 and 0, 000 on the criteria of Mann-Whitney

1010Two type of mistakesTwo type of mistakes

Semantically incomplete sentences – feature Semantically incomplete sentences – feature of the answers of children with of the answers of children with left left hemispherehemisphere functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

Misrepresentation of the situation shown on Misrepresentation of the situation shown on the picture, the destruction of its integrity – the picture, the destruction of its integrity – mostly refer to the answers of the children mostly refer to the answers of the children with the comparative weakness of the with the comparative weakness of the right right hemispherehemisphere functions functions

1111Series of pictureSeries of picture “Litter”“Litter”

1212Typical story of child with Typical story of child with left hemisphereleft hemisphere functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

““The man went to throw the litter away… and the The man went to throw the litter away… and the litter… and the litter flew about. litter… and the litter flew about.

Why did the litter flew about?Why did the litter flew about? – Because the – Because the wind was blowing”wind was blowing”

““And here the man is going to the dustbin, and And here the man is going to the dustbin, and here he throws it away. And here… also… and here he throws it away. And here… also… and here is coal … here is coal …

Why?Why? … … Because? Because? - - The wind”The wind”

1313Typical story of child with Typical story of child with right hemisphereright hemisphere functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

««The man wanted to the hens … [he] carried the cigarette to The man wanted to the hens … [he] carried the cigarette to throw it into the litter box. Then it fired. Then… [he] carried… throw it into the litter box. Then it fired. Then… [he] carried… the sand. And [he] covered it up at once. Then… his… his the sand. And [he] covered it up at once. Then… his… his sand was poured outsand was poured out»»

Why was the sand poured out?Why was the sand poured out? – Because he threw the cigarette – Because he threw the cigarette therethere»»

««The man [common] . wanted grain . be put into the bucket … The man [common] . wanted grain . be put into the bucket … And there was a strong wind. And everything was blown upon And there was a strong wind. And everything was blown upon him, and he then gathered again. And threw everything what him, and he then gathered again. And threw everything what occurred over thereoccurred over there»»

What is the sense of the story?What is the sense of the story? The old man wanted to put The old man wanted to put [something] for the winter and he did[something] for the winter and he did»»

1414ResultsResults

The group The group testedtested

Semantically Semantically correct correct answers answers

IncompleteIncomplete Wrong sense Wrong sense

Relative Relative weakness of weakness of LH (N=18) LH (N=18)

44% 44%

(8 (8 answersanswers))

53% (9,5)53% (9,5) 3% (0,5)3% (0,5)

Relative Relative weakness of weakness of RH (N=15) RH (N=15)

13% 13%

(2 (2 answersanswers))

23% (3,5)23% (3,5) 63%(9,5)63%(9,5)

The differences between the groups in the number of mistakes• on the T-criteria t<0,13 for the incompleteness and t<0,000 for the wrong sense•considerably it is 0,13 and 0, 001 on the criteria of Mann-Whitney

1515Series of pictureSeries of picture « «The boy and the girlThe boy and the girl»»

1616Typical story of child with Typical story of child with left hemisphereleft hemisphere functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

““First … the boy … has taken off the hat of the First … the boy … has taken off the hat of the

girl.girl. The boy . laughed at the girl, because … The boy . laughed at the girl, because …

[he] had taken of her … cap. And then … this [he] had taken of her … cap. And then … this

… boy. The girl asked the boy … the boy. … boy. The girl asked the boy … the boy.

And .. the girl .. has taken . of his neck and And .. the girl .. has taken . of his neck and

has dropped him ”has dropped him ”

1717Typical story of child with Typical story of child with right hemisphereright hemisphere functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

««He has taken off cap (fool’s cap)He has taken off cap (fool’s cap) firstly. [He] firstly. [He]

laughed . then he became angry . that is [he] laughed . then he became angry . that is [he]

has been glad. There . then [he] has has been glad. There . then [he] has

whispered. And then has stroked himwhispered. And then has stroked him»»

1818Features of childrenFeatures of children stories stories

With With left hemisphereleft hemisphere functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

Semantically incomplete texts, lack of coherence in the context of the Semantically incomplete texts, lack of coherence in the context of the shown situationshown situation

The shortage of the texts, missing of the essential sense blocksThe shortage of the texts, missing of the essential sense blocks

VerbalVerbal difficulties prevail difficulties prevail

With With right hemisphereright hemisphere functions’ weakness functions’ weakness

Unrealistic interpretation of the situation shown on the series of picturesUnrealistic interpretation of the situation shown on the series of pictures

Including in the discourse unrealistic in described situation details Including in the discourse unrealistic in described situation details

Misrepresentation protagonists intentions, emotions and mutual relations, Misrepresentation protagonists intentions, emotions and mutual relations,

if the shown situation includes social contextif the shown situation includes social context

GnosticGnostic difficulties prevail difficulties prevail

1919DiscussionDiscussion

When comparative When comparative weakness of the left weakness of the left

hemispherehemisphere functionsfunctions takes place, children takes place, children have the have the

dynamic difficulties of speech and thinkingdynamic difficulties of speech and thinking

When comparative When comparative weakness of the right weakness of the right

hemisphere functionshemisphere functions takes place, children takes place, children revealreveal

difficulties with the integrity of situation modeldifficulties with the integrity of situation model

2020The concept of speech and thinking by L.S. VygotskyThe concept of speech and thinking by L.S. Vygotsky

““Every thought tends to join something and something, it has Every thought tends to join something and something, it has

a movement, a flow… solves some task” a movement, a flow… solves some task”

““If I want to express the idea: today I saw a boy in a dark blue If I want to express the idea: today I saw a boy in a dark blue

shirt running along the street barefoot, - I don’t see shirt running along the street barefoot, - I don’t see

separately the boy, the shirt, the dark blue color of the separately the boy, the shirt, the dark blue color of the

shirt… I see it all together in a single act of thought… And shirt… I see it all together in a single act of thought… And

the thought is always the whole… What is contained the thought is always the whole… What is contained

simultaneously in the thought is successively unpacked in simultaneously in the thought is successively unpacked in

the speech” the speech” L.S.Vygotsky L.S.Vygotsky ««Thinking and speechThinking and speech»»

2121DiscussionDiscussion

When comparative When comparative weakness of the left weakness of the left

hemispherehemisphere functionsfunctions takes place, children takes place, children have the have the

dynamic difficulties of speech and thinkingdynamic difficulties of speech and thinking

When comparative When comparative weakness of the right weakness of the right

hemisphere functionshemisphere functions takes place, children takes place, children reveal reveal

deficit of the integrity of situation modeldeficit of the integrity of situation model

2222Specifics of hemispheres’ workSpecifics of hemispheres’ work

For the For the left hemisphere left hemisphere it is typical the it is typical the analytical analytical style of work, style of work, a series dynamic organization a series dynamic organization suffers due to the leisure of the left hemisphere suffers due to the leisure of the left hemisphere

For the For the right hemisphereright hemisphere it is typical the it is typical the global, global, holistic styleholistic style, the comprehension and retention , the comprehension and retention of the whole is poor when the leisure of the right of the whole is poor when the leisure of the right hemisphere takes place hemisphere takes place

These kinds of specifics of hemispheres’ work influence These kinds of specifics of hemispheres’ work influence the impact of each of the hemispheres into the impact of each of the hemispheres into the semantic the semantic organization of speechorganization of speech

Thank you!Thank you!

2424Текстовая референцияТекстовая референция

Фрейм

Референтная ситуация

Целостность текста,единство темы

Опознание

Акт

уали

заци

яОбеспечение

контекстной подсказки

и контекстного

ограничения

2525

Недостаточная сформированность перцептивных схем

(фреймов)

Сложность опознания типовой

ситуации

Актуализация неверного

сценарного фрейма

Неустойчивость сценарного фрейма

Отсутствие контекстной подсказки и контекстных ограничений

Зрительно-пространственные

трудности

Усугубление трудностей

Модель для объяснения особенностей речиМодель для объяснения особенностей речи