The Concept of Age-Specific New Psychological Formations in Contemporary Developmental Psychology

摘要

This article describes the development of L.S. Vygotsky's views on the dynamics of mental development during the ages of childhood and submits to critical analysis the idea of using "leading activities" as criteria of psychological age. It is argued that new psychological formations that come with age express special features of consciousness and self-awareness during both lytic and critical ages. The leading activity of an age emerges and develops on the basis of new psychological formations of age. Changes in a child's communication are the reasons behind changes in his activity. Moreover, changes in self-awareness are associated with changes in the child's relationship with adults. New formations during lytic periods are associated with the fact that characteristics of self-awareness that emerge help the child construct new activity. New formations during crisis periods are associated with the emergence of new meanings in the child's self-awareness, meanings that help him to regard his own actions in new ways. It is proposed that a periodization of mental development based on leading new psychological formations could serve as the foundation for creating the developing system of continuous education.