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What is a picture? Children's conceptions of pictures
Author(s) -
Thomas Glyn V.,
Nye Rebecca,
Rowley Martin,
Robinson Elizabeth J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
british journal of developmental psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2044-835X
pISSN - 0261-510X
DOI - 10.1348/026151001166209
Subject(s) - psychology , notation , point (geometry) , contrast (vision) , subject (documents) , picture books , subject matter , developmental psychology , linguistics , visual arts , art , artificial intelligence , computer science , mathematics , pedagogy , philosophy , geometry , curriculum , library science
In an exploratory study we examined children's selections of ‘pictures’ or things ‘good as pictures' from various sets of items. Most children regardless of age discriminated pictures from real objects and models. Many 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds selected pieces of paper with abstract forms, patterns of Os and Xs, letters, written words and numbers. Some selected as a picture a piece of plain white paper. Most rejected an image on the side of a drinking mug or a solid cube, even when asked to point to things ‘with pictures on’. English‐speaking children's early conception of a picture perhaps includes writing and number notations as subcategories, and for some it may include the paper substrate on which pictures are characteristically produced. In contrast, most children of age 6–8 years and older selected as pictures only drawings that had recognizable subject‐matter, rejected abstract figures, patterns, letters and numbers, and disregarded substrate in deciding picture status.