CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Understanding the symbolic nature of objects constitutes a real challenge for young children, challenge that stems from the double nature of these objects: they are physical objects in their own right and, at the same time, they are symbols of the entities they represent (DeLoache, 1987). In a series of experiments, we studied factors that affect the comprehension of symbolic objects putting special emphasis in the role that instruction plays in this process. We conceive instruction as the amount and kind informational support given by an adult that enables a child to learn about symbolic representations and how to use them.