What is it about?
I provide a cognitive account of pretend play in terms of a general capacity to interpret objects as symbols. When a toddler pretends a banana is a phone, they are not merely engaging in make-believe but are exercising their understanding that an object can represent something else. This ability has far-reaching consequences and is the foundation for how we understand drawings, animations, and diagrams later on in life.
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Why is it important?
I argue that pretend play—a widespread human behavior—is best understood as a manifestation of our capacity to interpret objects as symbols. A symbolic account offers three distinct advantages over other theories: it unifies pretend play with other forms of communication, avoids the need for redundant cognitive processes, and naturally explains how pretend play facilitates learning about the world.
Perspectives
Long before I started my PhD, I used to joke that every self-respecting developmental psychologist should have a theory of pretend play. This joke may have still been at the back of mind when I realized that pretend play is, in fact, much closer to the topic of my PhD (symbols and depictions) than I had thought. The paper is the elaboration of that realization.
Barbu Revencu
Central European University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Object substitution pretense reflects a general capacity to interpret objects as symbols., Psychological Review, December 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/rev0000523.
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