Getting the Picture: Iconicity Does Not Affect Representation-Referent Confusion

Wimmer, Marina C.; Robinson, Elizabeth J.; Koenig, Laura; Corder, Emma

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.

Citation

Wimmer, M. C., Robinson, E. J., Koenig, L., & Corder, E. (2014). Getting the Picture: Iconicity Does Not Affect Representation-Referent Confusion. PLOS ONE, 9(9), Article e107910. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107910

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 20, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Sep 23, 2014
• Publication Date: Sep 23, 2014
• Deposit Date: May 4, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: May 5, 2020
• Journal: PLoS ONE
• Print ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 9
• Article Number: e107910
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107910
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2657558