According to Lev Vygotsky, basic mental capacities are transformed into higher cognitive processes primarily through

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasizes that higher cognitive processes develop primarily through social interaction. Through interaction with more knowledgeable others (parents, teachers, peers), children internalize cultural tools and develop sophisticated thinking. Rewards/punishment are behaviorist concepts, stimulus-response is associationism, and adaptation/organization are Piagetian concepts.