Double stimulation in the waiting experiment: Testing a Vygotskian model of the emergence of volitional action

Abstract Vygotsky refers to a waiting experiment and uses it as an example to conceptualize double stimulation as human beings' ability to willfully transform conflictual circumstances with the help of auxiliary means. This experiment can be considered a key to a Vygotskian view on this topic, which can significantly contribute to today's discussions of ways to support transformative agency. In this article we provide an overview of a waiting experiment, recently conducted with the specific aim of testing a Vygotskian model of the emergence of volitional action. While confirming this model, the findings suggest two extensions to it. One extension is the inclusion of participants' life activity. The second extension, closely related to the first one, points at fluid and iterative movements that may occur between and within the phases of the model, due to the interference of life activity and conformity to the experimental setup.