Features of mental representations in senior preschoolers

Abstract

The results of the study of peculiarities of development of children meta-cognitive knowledge and representations of emotions conducted within Theory of Mind and Russian psychology are summarized in the article. 40 children aged 5–6 were examined. The method of conversation that included questions about the cognitive and emotional processes was used. It is shown that the age of 5–6 is sensitive for the development of mental representations while in most children of this age mental representations comprise of diffuse and eclectic images based on the direct experience. Heterochrony in the development of mental processes representation is revealed. The features of meta-cognitive representations structure are as follows: 1) differentiation of perceptual, thinking, imaginal, mnemonic processes; 2) recognition of dominant role of perception and memory; 3) exclusion of imagination from the cognitive system; 4) diffuse representations of thinking; 5) identification of attention and perception. The features of emotion representations structure are as follows: 1) differentiation of fundamental emotions; 2) poor understanding relationships between emotions; 3) recognition of a dominant role of emotions that are most important for socialization: joy, sadness, anger, fear. It was revealed The relationship between the levels of cognition and emotions representations in children was identified which proves that at the age of 6 Theory of Mind becomes a system of mental representations.