Abstract

SOLOVIEVA, Yulia  and  GONZALEZ-MORENO, Claudia Ximena. Indicators of the symbolic function acquisition at a verbal level in preschoolers. rev.fac.med. [online]. 2016, vol.64, n.2, pp.257-265. ISSN 0120-0011.  https://doi.org/10.15446/revfacmed.v64n2.52995.

Background. The historical-cultural paradigm provides an opportunity to study symbolic function through acquisition of external experience during the joint activity of the child with adults. Symbolic function might be accomplished on the level of materialized, perceptive and verbal actions. Objective. To identify positive and negative indicators of acquisition of symbolic function within the zone of proximal and actual development at a level of verbal actions in preschool Colombian children between 5 and 6 years old. Materials and methods. 180 preschoolers from Bogota were included in the study (99 children from public schools and 81 from private schools). A protocol for assessment of symbolic function, especially created for the purpose of the study, was applied to all children. Results. Results showed that for the majority of children verbal symbolic actions were not accessible for zone of either actual or proximate development. The results obtained were evaluated by three experts, who agreed on the level of positive or negative acquisition of the symbolic function. Conclusion. It is concluded that the evidence of presence of the symbolic function at a verbal level refers to the capacity to give a reflexive response to proposed tasks independently or by means of external help through an adult.

Keywords : Communication; Psychology; Developmental; Social Skills; Behavior.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )