ABSTRACT
In this paper we examine the representation of information in the developing child, particularly the development of symbolic processes. Children's early imitative, play, and language behavior has been described as symbolic or, alternatively, as developing from a nonsymbolic stage to a symbolic stage. The capacity for symbolic function is considered to be a major intellectual achievement, and the development of symbolic processes has been a central concern in developmental psychology. However, we currently lack a clear-cut definition of symbolic processes that allows them to be distinguished from nonsymbolic processes.
