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The Symbolism of Pictures

The Symbolism of Pictures. Clara Yoon Nathan Winkler-Rhoades. What are symbols?. Something that stands for something else Not necessarily similar to their referent Not natural – Created Use of symbols ~ 18 months Words, gestures, pictures?. By 18 months….

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The Symbolism of Pictures

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  1. The Symbolism of Pictures Clara Yoon Nathan Winkler-Rhoades

  2. What are symbols? • Something that stands for something else • Not necessarily similar to their referent • Not natural – Created • Use of symbols ~ 18 months • Words, gestures, pictures?

  3. By 18 months… • Words are interpreted referentially (Xu, et al. 2005) • Paradigm: Two-word trial, One-word trial • Surprised when # of kinds didn’t match # of labels • At chance for emotional expressions • Works at 10 months • Iconic gestures are recognized (Tomasello et al., 1999) • Children take a hammering motion as referring to hammers, e.g.

  4. Pictures as Symbols • Why are we interested in pictures? • Different from other symbols? • On one theory, pictures are more salient as objects than words or gestures, and hence harder to see as symbols • Pictures present a puzzle: • Innate ability to perceive content of pictures(Hochberg and Brookes 1969) • Yet apparent difficulty understanding that they refer to the world • ‘Pygmalion’ errors(DeLoache, et al. 1998) • Dollhouse task failure until 30 months (DeLoache, 1991, 2000)

  5. Pictures as Symbols • To review: • At first, mistake for actual referents • Somehow eventually, like adults, children recognize symbols as representations • Dual representation • At what point recognize symbolic significance?

  6. Role of Language • Language plays role? • Attract attention • Mediates reference • Evidence of its importance • Callaghan (2000) • Match picture with object • Only success when lexical labels could individuate them • Only when familiar • Winkler-Rhoades • No label, designate map for placing doll, not targets • Unfamiliar, need labels (?)

  7. ISU - Questions • How do we learn that pictures can refer to things? That they can inform us about how the world is? • Does language play a role in helping children figure out representational status of pictures?

  8. Xu and Baker (2005) • Modified manual search procedure • To understand how infants use property or kind info for object individuation

  9. Xu and Baker (2005) Results • Infants looked longer on switch trials • Labels did not matter • Familiarity did not matter • For us, important to establish that they would be surprised at switch trials

  10. ISU – Pilot Method • 18 month olds • 11 in familiar label, 7 in novel label, 7 in novel no label • Very similar to Xu and Baker (2005) • Box and novel objects • Switch trials and non-switch trials • Familiar, unfamiliar • Labeled, unlabeled • Who wants to be a baby?

  11. False Trial True Trial

  12. ISU - Pilot Alternatives/Logic • Longer reaching time on Switch than No Switch • Expect the same object to be present, confused • No difference in reaching time between Switch and No Switch (at chance) • No expectations on what object should be present • Perhaps just interest in reaching, or not reaching

  13. Labels Increased recognition of symbolic significance At chance Familiarity Increased recognition of symbolic significance At chance Labels/Familiar Alternatives

  14. ISU - Pilot Results – Label Cond. n=11 n=7

  15. ISU - Method • Same general procedure • Use pictures instead of first object remove/replace • Still Switch/No Switch trials • Still novel objects • Familiar/Unfamiliar • Label/No label

  16. ISU – Alternatives/Logic • Could use picture as symbol • On Switch trials, longer reaching time • Use picture to signify one object inside • Confusion on why other object • Could NOT use picture as symbol • No difference in reaching times between Switch and No Switch • Doesn’t use picture as information at all • No expectations • At chance

  17. Further Directions • Specific/generic? • Older/younger? • Within same kind? • Any ideas from you?

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