Children's perseverative appearance-reality errors are related to emerging language skills
Gedeon O Deák1, Shanna D Ray, Kimberly Brenneman
1Department of Cognitive Science, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0515, USA. deak@cogsci.ucsd.edu
Child Development
|June 11, 2003
Summary
Preschoolers' object appearance-reality (AR) errors stem from the test's discourse structure, not object deception. Verbal knowledge and perseveration influence AR task performance in young children.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistic Development
Background:
- Preschoolers often make object appearance-reality (AR) errors, confusing how an object looks with what it truly is.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the communicative and cognitive factors underlying these AR errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the communicative underpinnings of preschoolers' object appearance-reality (AR) errors.
- To determine the influence of test discourse structure, verbal knowledge, and perseveration on AR task performance.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with preschoolers aged 3-5 years.
- Participants completed AR tests, control tasks assessing discourse structure and verbal perseveration, and measures of vocabulary and memory.
Main Results:
- AR performance positively correlated with performance on control (discourse) and naming tasks.
- Object deceptiveness had minimal impact on AR errors.
- Variance in AR performance was predicted by perseveration scores, vocabulary, and use of exemplars.
Conclusions:
- The discourse structure of AR tests elicits a perseverative tendency in young children.
- Children's verbal knowledge mediates the relationship between test discourse and AR performance, highlighting the role of language in cognitive tasks.
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