Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 30, 2025
06:51
The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
Published on: April 6, 2018
8.5K
An Analogical Model of Pretense.
Irina Rabkina1, Kenneth D Forbus1
1Department of Computer Science, Northwestern University.
Cognitive Science
|March 17, 2022
Summary
Pretense involves analogical projection, where children infer pretend scenarios by comparing them to reality. Successful pretend play relies on making these inferences, while failures stem from projection issues.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Pretense is a complex cognitive ability crucial for child development.
- Existing models of pretense offer varied theoretical and computational perspectives.
- Understanding the mechanisms underlying pretense is key to explaining cognitive development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and model pretense as a process of analogical projection.
- To empirically investigate the role of analogical projection in early childhood pretense.
- To differentiate successful and failed pretense based on projection mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Development of a computational model for analogical projection in pretense.
- Design and execution of two empirical studies with young children.
- Analysis of inference patterns and projection successes/failures in pretend play.
Main Results:
- Pretense was successfully modeled as analogical projection.
- Empirical data supported the projection model of pretense.
- Failures in pretense were linked to the inability to make or accept analogical projections.
Conclusions:
- Pretense can be understood as a cognitive mechanism of analogical projection.
- This projection mechanism is fundamental to successful early childhood pretend play.
- The proposed model offers a novel framework for understanding pretense and its development.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Understanding Deception
12
Deception is a pervasive aspect of human communication. Empirical studies have shown that most individuals engage in some form of deceit on a daily basis, with approximately 20% of social exchanges involving deceptive elements. Lying follows a developmental trajectory, peaking during adolescence and declining with age, possibly due to the maturation of cognitive control and social accountability.Cognitive and Social Factors in Deception DetectionDespite its prevalence, accurately detecting...
12
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
40.9K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
40.9K
01:26Modeling in Therapy
164
Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
164
01:13Nonconscious Mimicry
4.7K
Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.
4.7K
01:12Strategies of Self-Presentation I: Strategic Self-Presentation
10
Strategic self-presentation refers to individuals' intentional efforts to influence how others perceive them. This process is employed in various social and professional settings, such as job interviews, dating, politics, and legal contexts, where individuals seek to shape impressions to gain social or material advantages. While people generally present themselves in ways that align with their authentic characteristics, external factors, such as cognitive load, can hinder their ability to...
10
02:13The Representativeness Heuristic
16.4K
The representative heuristic describes a biased way of thinking, in which you unintentionally stereotype someone or something. For example, you may assume that your professors spend their free time reading books and engaging in intellectual conversation, because the idea of them spending their time playing volleyball or visiting an amusement park does not fit in with your stereotypes of professors.
16.4K