Verbal Mediation of Problem Solving in Pre-Primary and Junior Primary School Children

• DOI: 10.1177/008124631204200316
• Publication Date: 2013-03-08T12:56:10Z
• Authors: Maria K. Damianova; Marilyn Lucas; Gavin Brent Sullivan
• Keywords: Private speech

Human ontogeny entails the construction and use of semiotic mediational means to regulate psychological functions intrapersonally interpersonally. In Vygotskyan school thought, speech is regarded as both a mediatory tool mediated higher mental function and, such, considered central development children's cognition. Grounded in Vygotsky's work on an instrument this study examined dynamics verbal mediation problem solving with specific focus social, private inner speech. The investigated incidence semantic composition produced during delineated age related changes profile relation social A total 120 children, aged from 5 years, 6 months 9 months, equal distribution boys girls, completed Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices. participants within four groups were different ethnic origin but all spoke English their first language. results indicated that children relied extensively three types content was primarily task-oriented. Unlike speech, presented dual, cognition-centred emotions-centred profile, which complex age-related changes, shown by one-way MANCOVA, permeated denotations salient task-related dynamics. Importantly, significations emotional processes featured consistently showed steady occurrence. It concluded multimodal, multifocal multidirectional.