The role of psychometric intelligence in preschool children understanding of the social world

Abstract

The analysis of mental models development, understanding of social impacts (with an example of understanding of advertising) and cognitive development shows a fundamental change of interrelation of these processes in children aged 3–6. 70 preschoolers who attended kindergarten took part in the study. The study results show that psychometric intelligence (both general and special cognitive abilities) play a crucial role in 3–4-year-old children understanding of the social world (mental model development and understanding of advertising). At the age of 5–6 cognitive abilities become less important, latent factors of understanding of the mental world. Change of cognitive abilities role during the period of rapid development of mental model as the basis for understanding the social world seems to be due to decrease of the weight of cognitive component of independent of situation mental models characteristic to 5–6-year-old children. The obtained data support a leading role of central coherence as a general basis for cognitive development and the ability to understand the mental world.