Developmental Changes in the Representation of Objects in Symbolic Play from 18 to 34 Months of Age

This research investigated developmental differences in the way children represent objects in symbolic play. Observations of the spontaneous and elicited play of children 18-34 months of age indicated that children most frequently represent objects by performing actions functionally appropriate to t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inChild development Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 186 - 195
Main Authors Ungerer, Judy A., Zelazo, Philip R., Kearsley, Richard B., O'Leary, Kathleen
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Chicago, etc University of Chicago Press 01.03.1981
University of Chicago Press for the Society for Research in Child Development, etc
Subjects
Age groups
Children
Imaginary objects
Mental objects
Proportions
Semiotic signs
Symbolism
Symbols
Tea
Wordplay
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Summary:This research investigated developmental differences in the way children represent objects in symbolic play. Observations of the spontaneous and elicited play of children 18-34 months of age indicated that children most frequently represent objects by performing actions functionally appropriate to the represented objects with objects physically similar to or commonly associated with the represented objects. However, with increasing age, children become able to represent objects without using functional actions and with objects bearing little physical similarity to the represented objects. The results confirm hypotheses derived from Piaget's theory of symbolic-play development and emphasize the importance of the object's perceptual properties in determining its representation by young children in symbolic play.
ISSN:0009-3920
1467-8624
DOI:10.2307/1129229