Symbolic Levels of Early Pretense and Representational Thinking

초기 가상놀이의 상징화 수준과 표상적 사고에 관한 연구

The present study examined the symbolic levels of early pretense in 67 children from 19 to 48 months of age. Subjects were selected from 3 non-profit, play oriented daycare centers. Children were observed during free play. Age and sex differences were examined with 2-way ANOVA performed on case analyses of individual children. Results showed that the symbolic level of pretense increased with age, but no significant sex differences were found. Some children below 2 years of age showed high levels of symbolic play, presenting the possibility of high levels of representational thinking from this early age.