GUIDELINES FOR THE PROSPECTS OF PRESCHOOL PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT: THE CONCEPT OF DOROTHEA AGNES MCCARTHY (1906-1974)

Abstract

The presents research materials that provide a basis for a broader discussion of the well-known concept in psychological science, “zone of proximal development”. The carried out a theoretical analysis of the concept of preschooler personality development by American scientist Dorothy Agnes McCarthy (1906-1974), who laid the foundations for this psychological phenomenon. The aim of the study was to describe the biographical information about Dorothy Agnes McCarthy, outline the general provisions of her concept, reveal the essence of the described “guidelines for the development of preschoolers’ personalities” and their impact on the further development of psychological science.

The results of the study: brief information about D. McCarthy’s biography is presented; it was established that scholar’s concept of personality development in preschool age was focused on studying the characteristics of cognitive abilities, speech development, and determining the child’s development prospects. The McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MSCA) test was made it possible to assess not only the overall level of cognitive development, but also the differentiation of cognitive profiles between subtests. The test is based on identifying potential neuropsychological markers and assessing motor coordination. In McCarthy’s concept, speech development was seen as a key mechanism in the development of other mental processes and the socialisation of the early child. The researcher formulated guidelines for the development of preschoolers (the level of current development and the level of prospective development). As a result, the genesis of the concept of the “zone of proximal development” has been clarified. The prospect outlines the modification of D. McCarthy’s test for determining intellectual abilities, which is relevant for diagnosing children with special educational needs.