The goal of the proposed studies is to illuminate the roles of two previously unexplored factors in children's understanding and skillful use of symbolic artifacts such as models and pictures. The first series of studies investigates the role of intentionality. Research has shown that children at a very young age are sensitive to the intentional, goal-directed behavior of other people; thus, these studies test whether emphasizing the intentional origins and intended function of a picture or model (as a symbol that refers to another object or state of affairs) can increase children's comprehension of symbolic artifacts. The second series of studies tests whether limitations in executive control constrain children's use of symbolic artifacts. This will be explored by testing children in a variety of tasks in which the demands for executive control are reduced. The eventual objective is a theoretical model that specifies the avenues children take to achieving adult levels of symbolic understanding and skill. This research also has implications for a number of health-related applications. For example, recent research has revealed that children's understanding of the anatomically-correct dolls used in investigations of sexual abuse is surprisingly limited. Identifying ways to effectively convey the intended function of symbolic artifacts could lead to improved interview techniques. In addition, the research bears on issues in educational psychology centered on-finding effective techniques for teaching young children abstract symbol systems like numbers and writing.
