EJ572365 PS528406
Title: Intention and Knowledge in Preschoolers' Conception of Pretend.Author(s): Joseph, Robert M.
Source: Child Development, v69 n4 p966-80 Aug 1998
Publication Date: 1998
Notes: For comment on this article, see PS 526 408 in this issue.
ISSN: 0009-3920
Language: English
Document Type: Journal articles (080); Opinion papers (120); Reports--Research (143)
Journal Announcement: CIJMAY1999
Three experiments
examined 3- to 5-year olds' understanding of the intended nature
of pretend behavior. Found that 4-year olds understood intention
as a mental cause of action and construed pretend behaviors mentalistically,
but systematically associated ignorance of a specific animal with
pretending to be that animal. Concludes that Lillard's (1995) research
tasks underestimated children's appreciation of the mental features
of pretend. (Author/KB)
Descriptors: Cognitive Development; *Intention; *Knowledge Level;
*Preschool Children; *Pretend Play; Research Methodology
Identifiers: Representational Thinking; Theory of Mind
