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The role of modelling and request type on symbolic comprehension of objects and gestures in young children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2003

TRICIA STRIANO ,
PHILIPPE ROCHAT  and
MARIA LEGERSTEE
TRICIA STRIANO
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute, Leipzig
PHILIPPE ROCHAT
Affiliation:
Emory University
MARIA LEGERSTEE
Affiliation:
York University
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Abstract

In a first study, we considered whether modelling and the type of an adult's request influenced children's ability at 1;8 and 2;2 to comprehend gestures and replica objects as symbols for familiar objects. In a second study, we evaluated whether modelling and type of request influenced children's ability at 1;8 (N=24) to understand unfamiliar (i.e. unconventional) objects as symbols. Results of Study 1 indicated that children at 2;2 comprehended a gesture as a symbol in the absence of any previous model demonstration. All children comprehended a replica as standing for another object, although modelling marginally improved children's performance at 2;2 and decreased performance at 1;8. In general, the type of request did not influence children's comprehension of gestures or replicas as symbols. Results of Study 2 showed that modelling and request type did not influence children's understanding of objects that are unconventional and novel, as symbols. The studies converge to suggest that symbolic comprehension is a highly context-dependent ability that continues to develop over the second year.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , February 2003 , pp. 27 - 45
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

This research was supported by grant SBR-9507773 from the National Science Foundation to P. Rochat and by the Max Plank Institute to Tricia Striano. We thank Amanda Kaye and Yafit Tako for help in conducting this experiment. We also thank Laura Namy and Aimee Campbell for helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.