Semiotics


* The Development of Representational Competence *Measuring Representational Competence *The Sentence Verification Technique (SVT) *The Meaning Identification Technique (MIT) *Representational Competence of Text (RCT) Semiotics


Before discussing the importance of representational competence in cognitive development, it is essential to understand the nature of semiotics. Semiotics is the study of sign systems. Signs are representations humans develop which convey meaning. They consist of signifiers (eg. words, numbers, notes) which represent the signified (eg. meaning, quantity, sounds). Put simply, a sign is a unit of meaning.


The highest level sign system is language, also called a meta-sign-system. Meaning is also carried in other sign systems such as gestures (a frown conveys the meaning of dissatisfaction, a smile represents pleasure or approval), street signs