iconic representation

1. the mental representation of visual stimuli in raw, unprocessed form.

2. in Jerome Seymour Bruner’s theory of cognitive development, the representation of objects and experiences as images based on sensory impressions. The process underlying this form of knowledge acquisition, which begins to develop in early infancy and is dominant in the preschool years, is called the iconic mode (or iconic stage). Compare enactive representation; symbolic representation.

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

realistic group conflict theory

a conceptual framework predicated on the assumption that intergroup tensions will occur whenever social groups must compete for scarce resources (e.g., food, territory, jobs, wealth, power, natural resources) and that this competition fuels prejudice and other antagonistic attitudes that lead to conflicts such as rivalries and warfare. Also called realistic conflict theory.