Ashley H. BrockAshley H. Brock

FebruaryFebruary 28 28thth, , 20062006

Mandler, J. M. (1992). How to build a baby: Mandler, J. M. (1992). How to build a baby: II. Conceptual primitives. II. Conceptual primitives. Psychological Psychological ReviewReview, 99, pp. 587-604. , 99, pp. 587-604.

Concepts and Concepts and CategoriesCategories Adults think in abstract concepts and categoriesAdults think in abstract concepts and categories

Abstract – dealing with relationships between Abstract – dealing with relationships between objects or entities that transcend the properties of objects or entities that transcend the properties of the objects themselvesthe objects themselves

Young children think in natural categories, which Young children think in natural categories, which are sensory in natureare sensory in nature

Natural categories are based on the physical Natural categories are based on the physical properties of objectsproperties of objects

Many species of animals are able to group objects Many species of animals are able to group objects into natural categories based on perceptual into natural categories based on perceptual similaritysimilarity

Where do concepts come Where do concepts come from?from?

How do infants begin to form concepts of How do infants begin to form concepts of natural categories?natural categories?

How do these perceptually-based concepts How do these perceptually-based concepts develop into abstract concepts?develop into abstract concepts?

How are concepts structured in the mental How are concepts structured in the mental architecture of infants who have not yet architecture of infants who have not yet acquired language?acquired language?

Preverbal ThoughtPreverbal Thought

Conceptual information is necessary for Conceptual information is necessary for preverbal thoughtpreverbal thought

The first concepts understood by preverbal The first concepts understood by preverbal infants are often those involving animacy, infants are often those involving animacy, containment, and agency (causality)containment, and agency (causality)

Infants are thought to use image-schemas to Infants are thought to use image-schemas to create mental representations of these create mental representations of these conceptsconcepts

Piaget’s View of Piaget’s View of Conceptual Conceptual

DevelopmentDevelopment The first 1.5 years of life constitute the The first 1.5 years of life constitute the sensorimotor stage sensorimotor stage

Infants in this stage develop perceptual Infants in this stage develop perceptual categoriescategories

Infants can abstract central tendencies of Infants can abstract central tendencies of perceptual patterns to create prototypesperceptual patterns to create prototypes

But these categories are limited to sensory But these categories are limited to sensory information information

Piaget’s View of Piaget’s View of Conceptual Conceptual

DevelopmentDevelopment Sensorimotor-stage infants’ categories are only Sensorimotor-stage infants’ categories are only perceptual motor schemas that enable them to perceptual motor schemas that enable them to recognize objects and act appropriately towards recognize objects and act appropriately towards themthem

No evidence that infants in this stage have any No evidence that infants in this stage have any conceptual representation that would allow them conceptual representation that would allow them to think about objectsto think about objects

Real concepts first develop in the transition from Real concepts first develop in the transition from the sensorimotor to the preoperational stage at the sensorimotor to the preoperational stage at about 1.5 years of age about 1.5 years of age – Action schemas become speeded up and freed from Action schemas become speeded up and freed from

their sensorimotor limitationstheir sensorimotor limitations– Imitation from imagery is interiorized to form conceptsImitation from imagery is interiorized to form concepts

Problems with Problems with Piaget’s ViewPiaget’s View

Assumes that infants younger than 1.5 years Assumes that infants younger than 1.5 years old do not have the ability to use imagery to old do not have the ability to use imagery to re-present objects and events to themselves re-present objects and events to themselves in memoryin memory

Assumes that younger infants do not have Assumes that younger infants do not have concepts of object characteristics (solidity, concepts of object characteristics (solidity, permanence, etc.) or causality and motion permanence, etc.) or causality and motion that they can think of independently that they can think of independently

Problems with Problems with Piaget’s ViewPiaget’s View

It is now known that infants begin to understand It is now known that infants begin to understand these concepts by 5 months of agethese concepts by 5 months of age

Evidence of symbolic thought (sign language) and Evidence of symbolic thought (sign language) and sophisticated declarative memory exists for infants sophisticated declarative memory exists for infants at 6 to 8 months of ageat 6 to 8 months of age

This is contrary to Piaget’s view because infants of This is contrary to Piaget’s view because infants of this age are not skilled at manipulating objects this age are not skilled at manipulating objects and have not yet begun to move around their and have not yet begun to move around their environment, which Piaget claimed was necessary environment, which Piaget claimed was necessary for “preoperational” thoughtfor “preoperational” thought

Image SchemasImage Schemas

Mandler proposes that infants begin to Mandler proposes that infants begin to form concepts using image schemasform concepts using image schemas

Image schemas are condensed Image schemas are condensed redescriptions of spatial structure that are redescriptions of spatial structure that are stored in memory and can be accessed stored in memory and can be accessed independentlyindependently

Formation of Image Formation of Image SchemasSchemas

Image schemas are created by perceptual Image schemas are created by perceptual analysisanalysis

Perceptual analysis differs from perceptual Perceptual analysis differs from perceptual processing, which occurs automaticallyprocessing, which occurs automatically

In perceptual analysis, a perceptual array In perceptual analysis, a perceptual array or image is attentively analyzedor image is attentively analyzed

New information is abstracted New information is abstracted Pieces of perceptual information are Pieces of perceptual information are

recoded into non-perceptual formrecoded into non-perceptual form

Formation of Image Formation of Image SchemasSchemas

Comparison and contrast are two methods Comparison and contrast are two methods of perceptual analysisof perceptual analysis

Information abstracted from perceptual Information abstracted from perceptual analysis is available to the conscious mindanalysis is available to the conscious mind

Beginning of the explicit knowledge systemBeginning of the explicit knowledge system Vocabulary of meaningsVocabulary of meanings Semantic primitivesSemantic primitives

Image SchemasImage Schemas

Image schemas are crude representations Image schemas are crude representations with few detailswith few details

Image schemas do not require symbols or Image schemas do not require symbols or other interpretive systems other interpretive systems

Image schemas are dynamic and have a Image schemas are dynamic and have a relational naturerelational nature

Concepts are created from the relationships Concepts are created from the relationships between image schemasbetween image schemas

Example:Example:

Image schema – Image schema – self-motion self-motion (starts on its (starts on its own)own)

Image schema – Image schema – animate motionanimate motion (rhythmic (rhythmic and regular but unpredictable)and regular but unpredictable)

Concept – Concept – self-moving animate motionself-moving animate motion Category – Category – animate objects/animalsanimate objects/animals

ConceptsConcepts

Image schemas are later recoded with Image schemas are later recoded with languagelanguage

They become more elaborated and detailedThey become more elaborated and detailed Image schemas eventually develop into Image schemas eventually develop into

abstract conceptsabstract concepts