Abstract

LAMPREIA, Carolina. The process of development towards the symbol: A pragmatic approach. Arq. bras. psicol. [online]. 2008, vol.60, n.2, pp. 117-128. ISSN 1809-5267.

The subject of symbol formation has been discussed from two opposed philosophical approaches: a cognitivist approach with cartesian rationalist roots and a social approach with pragmatic roots. According to a pragmatic approach, the road towards the development of symbol begins from birth in articulation with innate capacities, specific of the human species, and social interactions. The objective of the present paper is to outline the road towards the symbol, from a pragmatic approach, describing and emphasizing contextual and interactional aspects which participate in this process since birth. First, the philosophical roots of the cognitivist and pragmatic approaches of language will be presented. Then, the road towards symbol formation will be described in detail from a pragmatic approach, particularly from studies by Daniel Stern, Elizabeth Bartes and Michael Tomasello. In the end, an attempt to bring together the philosophical considerations of pragmatics and some psychological researches about the development towards the symbol will be presented.

Keywords : Development of symbol; Pragmatics; Social interaction.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )