Abstract
Three experiments examined 3- to 5-year-olds' (N = 428) understanding of the relationship between pictorial iconicity (photograph, colored drawing, schematic drawing) and the real world referent. Experiments 1 and 2 explored pictorial iconicity in picture-referent confusion after the picture-object relationship has been established. Pictorial iconicity had no effect on referential confusion when the referent changed after the picture had been taken/drawn (Experiment 1) and when the referent and the picture were different from the outset (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 investigated whether children are sensitive to iconicity to begin with. Children deemed photographs from a choice of varying iconicity representations as best representations for object reference. Together, findings suggest that iconicity plays a role in establishing a picture-object relation per se but is irrelevant once children have accepted that a picture represents an object. The latter finding may reflect domain general representational abilities.
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0107910
Publication Date
2014-09-23
Publication Title
PLoS ONE
Volume
9
Issue
9
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
ISSN
1932-6203
Embargo Period
2024-11-22
First Page
e107910
Last Page
e107910
Recommended Citation
Wimmer, M., Robinson, E., Koenig, L., & Corder, E. (2014) 'Getting the Picture: Iconicity Does Not Affect Representation-Referent Confusion', PLoS ONE, 9(9), pp. e107910-e107910. Public Library of Science (PLoS): Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107910
