The nature(s) of developmental change: Piaget, Vygotsky, and the transition process

This essay proposes (1) that more than one kind of large-scale developmental change exists; and (2) that more than one kind of developmental change mechanism is needed to explain them. These proposals are supported by work in nonuniversal theory which states that intellectual development should be characterized neither as domain-general nor as domain-specific, but as a spectrum of developmental domains that range from the universal to the unique. The current article extends nonuniversal theory by positing and then describing (1) a sixth region of development-a pancultural region, and (2) five basic change mechanisms (maturation, domain-specific structures, technologies, instruction, and equilibration) that differentially influence developmental change at particular points along the universal-to-unique continuum. The contributions of each of the five change mechanisms is illustrated by an analysis of children's ability to draw maps. The value of the universal to unique framework is demonstrated by showing how it helps resolve Piaget's and Vygotsky's seemingly contradictory views on the relationship between learning and development. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.