The role of shape and specificity in young children's object substitution

Abstract

Abstract Children often substitute one object for another during play. They may substitute a stick for a sword or a box for a car, often favouring substitutes that are shaped like the needed object. The current study looked at the roles of shape and specificity, the degree to which a possible substitute resembles something else, in children's object substitutions. We asked whether children would favour generic, similarly shaped substitutes (those with low specificity) over specific ones and whether generic objects would elicit a great variety of potential substitutes than their specific counterparts. Three‐, 4‐, and 5‐year‐olds ( N = 66) saw objects that varied by shape (round versus rectangular) and by specificity (generic versus specific) and were asked to help a story character find a series of objects. Children were also given an object and asked to generate a list of possible things for which the object could be substituted. Overall, children, especially 5‐year‐olds, strongly favoured the generic, same‐shaped substitutes over other objects and regularly used them for multiple substitutions. Children did not generate a longer list of potential substitutes when given a generic object. Findings suggest that children may pass over specific objects in favour generic ones when making object substitutions during play. Highlights Researchers examined the roles of shape and specificity in young children's choice of object substitutions. Children were asked to help a story character find four objects using four substitutes that varied in shape and specificity. Children used generic shapes to be used as multiple needed objects more than those designed to look like something specific.