Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2pzkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-05T08:12:23.285Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Children's deictic and nondeictic interpretations of the spatial locatives in front of and behind

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Maureen V. Cox  and
Sarah Isard
Maureen V. Cox*
Affiliation:
University of York
Sarah Isard
Affiliation:
University of York
*
Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO1 5DD, UK.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A younger group (mean age 5;10) and an older group (mean age 9;11) of children were asked to place a toy man IN FRONT OF or BEHIND a car which either faced away from them or faced sideways. When the observer's viewpoint was not emphasized in the instructions, or was merely implied, both age groups responded in a nondeictic way. When the viewpoint of the observer was an essential component of the task and the spatial term was omitted, both age groups selected a deictic location. However, when the viewpoint was emphasized but when the spatial term was also included the responses were split between deictic and nondeictic locations.

Type
Notes and Discussion
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 1990 , pp. 481 - 488
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Cox, M. V. (1979). Young children's understanding of in front of and behind in the placement of objects. Journal of Child Language 6. 371–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cox, M. V. (1981). Interpretation of the spatial prepositions ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’. International Journal of Behavioral Development 4. 359–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, M. V. (1986). The child's point of view. The development of cognition and language. Brighton: Harvester.Google Scholar
Hughes, M. & Donaldson, M. (1979). The use of hiding games for studying the coordination of viewpoints. Educational Review 31. 133–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuczaj, S. A. & Maratsos, M. P. (1975). On the acquisition of front, back and side. Child Development 46. 202–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1956). The child's conception of space. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Tanz, C. (1980). Studies in the acquisition of deictic terms. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar