Pushko P.R., Dergachev Y.S., Kotov А.А., Kotova Т.N. Development of Children's Ability to Distinguish between Verbal and Visual Representation Formats: A New Perspective on Metacognitive Functions in Early Childhood
Polina R. Pushko, Bachelor's student, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia; bld. 20, Myasnitskaya st., Moscow, Russia, 101000; ppushko5@gmail.com
Yaroslav S. Dergachev, PhD student, research assistant, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia; bld. 20, Myasnitskaya st., Moscow, Russia, 101000; dergachevyar@gmail.com
Alexey A. Kotov, PhD (Psychology), associate professor, leading researcher, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia; bld. 20, Myasnitskaya st., Moscow, Russia, 101000; akotov@hse.ru
Tatiana N. Kotova, PhD (Psychology), associate professor, Faculty of Psychology, RANEPA, Moscow, Russia; bld. 82–1, Vernadskogo ave., Moscow, Russia, 119571; tkotova@gmail.com
Understanding other people's representations and comparing them with one's own is an important metacognitive function that develops in preschool age. In previous studies, this function was examined both in the context of the development of different types of representation (theory of mind, pictorial representation) and in terms of children's understanding of the structure of representation (number of representations, their presence or absence).
In the present study, we investigated a new type of children's representations – the ability to distinguish between representation formats: verbal (based on internal speech) and visual (based on mental images). We assumed that four-year-old children can distinguish between representation formats and use them correctly for different aspects of an imaginary situation.
To study this ability, we developed our own methodology, in which children first learned new signs for representation formats and then used them. This methodology was applied to a sample of children aged 4–9 (N = 70) and showed age-related differences in the development of the ability to distinguish between two representation formats. We found that children as young as four years old can differentiate between representational formats (verbal and visual) and, by the age of six years, can use this knowledge to analyze and compare other people's representations.
Key words: metacognition, representation, inner speech, mental images, ontogenesis, theory of mind
For citation: Pushko, P.R., Dergachev, Y.S., Kotov, А.А., Kotova, Т.N. (2026). Development of Children's Ability to Distinguish between Verbal and Visual Representation Formats: A New Perspective on Metacognitive Functions in Early Childhood. New Psychological Research, No. 1, 62–76. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2026_06_01_03
Acknowledgment
The study was conducted as part of the HSE University Fundamental Research Program.
Keywords: metacognition representation inner speech mental images ontogenesis theory of mind
Received: 27th march 2026
Published: 27th march 2026