PSYB20H3 Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Document Summary
Because children of this age are not ready to engage in logical mental operations. Characterized by a great expansion in the use of symbolic thought, or representational ability, which first emerges near the end of the sensorimotor stage. Young children are grounded in the concrete here-and-now, according to. Piaget, and the fundamental achievements in cognitive ability stem from advances in symbolic thought. Symbolic function the ability to use symbols or mental representations. For example, language is a symbolic representational system. The word key is a symbol for the object that we use to open doors. Preschool children show the symbolic function through deferred imitation, pretend play, and language. Deferred imitation also called fantasy play, dramatic play, or imaginary play, children may make an object, such as a doll, represent, or symbolize, something else, such as a person. Language is also symbolic; words stand for objects and concepts in our world.
