Another theory, posited by Erik Erikson, also focuses on the psychological elements of development. According to Eriksson, all children go through the same psychological stages, and so development occurs the same everywhere. Vygotsky believed development to occur differently within different cultures, dependent on the characteristics of the individuals' children are cared for. Finally, a third theory of attachment, is actually quite similar in that it depends on healthy social interaction to provide normal developmental processes.

One of the primary features of Vygotsky's social theory of development is his concept of the zone of proximate development, or ZPD. According to Vygotsky, "any pedagogy creates learning processes that lead to development," (Gallagher 1999). Thus, the help that children receive from caregivers helps shapes how they will then approach certain situations in the future. Research states that "It's the concept that a child accomplishes a task that he/she cannot do alone, with the...
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