Young children's understanding of the correspondence between a scale model and a larger space

Abstract

Sensitivity to the correspondence between a scale model and the larger space it represents emerges between 2 1 2 and 3 years of age. In three of the four experiments reported here, young children watched as a miniature toy was hidden somewhere in a scale model of a room. Then the children were asked to retrieve an analogous toy that was hidden in the corresponding place in the room itself. According to the data reported here, success in this and a related task requires that children understand that the model is related to or represents the room. Children below the age of 33 or 34 months are extremely unlikely to become aware of this correspondence, even with extensive instructions and demonstrations. Children a few months older very readily grasp the relation when it is pointed out to them. This research reveals the importance of awareness of the representational relation between a symbol (the model) and its referent (the room) in early symbolization.