Realism believes that objects exist independently of the mind. John Locke believed that the mind represents the external world through ideas gained from experience. Realist counseling behaviors include gathering interpretable client data, persuading clients to change problem behaviors, verbally predicting client actions, and explaining how the counselor solves problems. Constructivism posits that humans generate knowledge through interactions between experiences and ideas. According to constructivism, learning is an active process where learners construct new understandings based on current knowledge. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky contributed influential constructivist learning theories focused on cognitive development stages and socio-cultural influences.