Decentering
Decentration is a term coined by Jean Piaget from developmental psychology. It marks an essential step in overcoming childish egocentrism . A child who is decentered is able to perceive two or more physical dimensions of an object or event and to relate them to one another. These relationships of characteristics are not only recognized but also understood by the child. For example, it can take into account the height and circumference of a glass in order to estimate the amount of liquid, which can be demonstrated in the experiment (pouring task). The child can now perform mental operations on the basis of fewer perceptual errors and recognizes the principle of invariance (maintenance).
According to Piaget's model, decentering is only possible from the concrete operational stage (7th - 12th year of life).
With the turn from functional play to symbolic play, the child performs a form of decentering. If the child is at the center of action when feeding the doll, then on the level of symbolism the doll suddenly becomes the focus of action. The child now perceives the doll as "eating". Feeding becomes a symbolic act.
literature
- Norbert Kühne, Monika Gewicke et al., Psychology for technical schools and technical colleges. Troisdorf 2003, pp. 85-90
- Rolf Oerter and Leo Montada, Developmental Psychology. A textbook. Weinheim 1987, p. 418 ff