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Abstract Mapping

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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development

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Synonyms

Concept formation; Mental mapping

Definition

Abstract mapping refers to the process of linking the essential conceptual elements from two sets of information to form new knowledge.

Description

Abstract mapping is a psycholinguistic model that attempts to explain the processes needed to form concepts as well as to organize and to integrate information to support memory, reasoning, and learning [1, 2]. Abstract mapping is an extension of models used to describe young children’s acquisition of new vocabulary, syntax, and expressive language skills [1, 3, 5, 7].

Mapping refers to the connecting of the underlying elements (abstract) from two sets of information to form a new concept. The connections or correspondences are made between a familiar knowledge base (source) with new stimuli (target). The correspondences are based upon similarities of perceptual features, functions, relationships, and meanings. The process of forming and altering connections contribute to the increase...

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References

  1. Fauconnier, G. (1997). Mappings in thought and language. Cambridge: Cambridge, UK.

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  2. Feld, J. (2004). Psycholinguistics: The key concepts. New York: Rutledge.

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  3. Forbus, K. (2001). Exploring analogy in the large. In D. Gentner, K. Holyoak, & B. Kokinov (Eds.), The analogical mind: Perspectives from cognitive science (pp. 24–58). Cambridge, MA: MIT.

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  4. Gattis, M. (2001). Space as a basis for abstract thought. In M. Gattis (Ed.), Spatial schemas and abstract thought (pp. 1–12). Cambridge, MA: MIT.

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  5. Karmiloff, K., & Karmiloff-Smith, A. (2002). Pathways to language: From fetus to adolescent. Cambridge, MA: Harvard.

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  6. Piaget, J., Henriques, G., & Ascher, E. (1992). Morphisms and categories: Comparing and transforming (T. Brown, Ed. & Trans.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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  7. Tomasello, M. (2003). Constructing a language: A usage-based theory of language acquisition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fetal Alcohol & Drug Exposure Clinic, Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Molly Millians

Authors
  1. Molly Millians
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Millians, M. (2011). Abstract Mapping. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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