Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence
From middle childhood through adolescence, a growing awareness of interpretive activities in the construction of knowledge and belief occurs. Children progressively realize that cognitive activities are highly inferential and, consequently, uncertain. The present study moves from the hypothesis that...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bologna
2014-04-01
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| Series: | Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://rpd.unibo.it/article/view/4293 |
| _version_ | 1811283590916341760 |
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| author | Alda Maria Scopesi Anna Maria Rosso Paola Viterbori Erika Panchieri |
| author_facet | Alda Maria Scopesi Anna Maria Rosso Paola Viterbori Erika Panchieri |
| author_sort | Alda Maria Scopesi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | From middle childhood through adolescence, a growing awareness of interpretive activities in the construction of knowledge and belief occurs. Children progressively realize that cognitive activities are highly inferential and, consequently, uncertain. The present study moves from the hypothesis that a developmental progression of the understanding of the relative certainty of mental processes across late childhood and preadolescence is reflected in the use of mental terms. In particular,the present study analyses the production of two cognitive verbs (think and know)and of markers of uncertainty in an autobiographical narrative. The results confirm an increase in the use of think and of markers of uncertainty in children aged8 to 12, suggesting a major change in children’s appreciation of subjectivity. The production of these mental terms was not associated with general verbal ability.Gender differences in their use were marginal and, when present, favored girls. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:14:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed445a9d72df4eef80fbce0e7b4be13c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1970-2221 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:14:18Z |
| publishDate | 2014-04-01 |
| publisher | University of Bologna |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed445a9d72df4eef80fbce0e7b4be13c2022-12-22T03:07:12ZengUniversity of BolognaRicerche di Pedagogia e Didattica1970-22212014-04-01919711310.6092/issn.1970-2221/42933961Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescenceAlda Maria ScopesiAnna Maria RossoPaola ViterboriErika PanchieriFrom middle childhood through adolescence, a growing awareness of interpretive activities in the construction of knowledge and belief occurs. Children progressively realize that cognitive activities are highly inferential and, consequently, uncertain. The present study moves from the hypothesis that a developmental progression of the understanding of the relative certainty of mental processes across late childhood and preadolescence is reflected in the use of mental terms. In particular,the present study analyses the production of two cognitive verbs (think and know)and of markers of uncertainty in an autobiographical narrative. The results confirm an increase in the use of think and of markers of uncertainty in children aged8 to 12, suggesting a major change in children’s appreciation of subjectivity. The production of these mental terms was not associated with general verbal ability.Gender differences in their use were marginal and, when present, favored girls.http://rpd.unibo.it/article/view/4293mental state talkmiddle childhoodpreadolescence |
| spellingShingle | Alda Maria Scopesi Anna Maria Rosso Paola Viterbori Erika Panchieri Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica mental state talk middle childhood preadolescence |
| title | Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence |
| title_full | Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence |
| title_fullStr | Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence |
| title_short | Mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence |
| title_sort | mental vocabulary and markers of uncertainty in childhood and preadolescence |
| topic | mental state talk middle childhood preadolescence |
| url | http://rpd.unibo.it/article/view/4293 |
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