REPRESENTATION

1
REPRESENTATION
2
Definition

• The mental encoding of information

3
Major questions

• When do children begin to mentally represent the
  world?
• How do children represent their world?
• How does representation change with age?

4
Representation in infancy

• Piaget's theory
• New research using new methods
• 2 day old babies
• Recognize what they heard in womb
• 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 month old babies
• Object permanence (Baillargeon)

5
More research on infant representation

• 5 month old babies
• Early number concepts addition subtraction
  (Wynn)
• 9 month old babies
• Deferred imitation of other's actions (Meltzoff,
  Bauer)
• Summary -

6
Symbolic representation

• Representational insight
• Dual representation
• Appearance/Reality distinction

7
Representational insight

• Definition
• Toddlers begin to show it in play Examples

8
Dual representation

• Definition
• Examples
• Interpretation of models pictures
• DeLoache research
• Why this pattern of results?
• Problems with dual representation

9
Appearance/Reality distinction

• Definition
• Examples
• Constancy of animals
• de Vries research ( Maynard)
• Conservation
• Gender constancy

10
Conclusions

• Representational insight develops early
• Dual encoding develops slowly between 2 5 years
• 2 1/2 yrs can use pictures as symbols
• 3 yrs can use models as symbols
• 4-5 yrs make appearance/reality distinction

11
Theory of mind

• Definition
• Examples

12
Flavells fundamental principles

• Minds exist
• Minds are separate different from physical
  world
• Minds have intentions
• Minds can represent things accurately or
  inaccurately (have false beliefs)
• Minds actively interpret reality emotional
  experiences

13
Alternative views

• Evolved modules
• Autistic kids mindblind
• vs. Downs syndrome kids who are not

14
Summary

• Infants have some form of mental representation
• Symbolic representation appears later
• Toddlers develop representational insight
• Preschoolers develop dual representation
  appearance/reality distinction
• Preschoolers begin to develop theory of mind