mental representation
1
6.7
- noun
- /ˈmɛntəl ˌrɛprɪzɛnˈteɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
representación mental
- But cognitivist conceptions of film, based as they are on the notions of "mental representations" and "perceptual experience," cannot do without the scheme-content distinction.
- generate a mental representation
- mental representation of a character
- construct a coherent mental representation
Examples
-
In cognitive psychology research, concepts are thought of as mental representations that are used to create categories (Medin, 1989).
Academic text (2005) -
Sowa (1997) identifies a concept as a person's mental representation of an object or objects in physical reality.
Academic text (1999) -
But what of images, those mental representations which are only available to the individual who experiences them?
Academic text (1990) -
When thinking about a criminal, concepts, images, and experiences come to mind that enable one to form a mental representation of a criminal.
Academic text (2006) -
But what is the mechanism by which a mental representation of a character is formed in the mind of an actual reader?
Academic text (2004) -
The construction of the mental representation of this line should not be very different from that of the previous utterance.
Academic text (2002) -
Although there are some commonalities with these mental representations, not everyone represents them in the same way.
Academic text (2012) -
Consider how the reader has to build a mental representation of the first utterance in line 1.
Academic text (2002) -
The content of descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes is essentially the same, but the way individuals use these mental representations to form judgments differs.
Academic text (2013) -
When we think about a tree, the mental representation we form can include its shape, color, and size.
Synonyms
848
3.8
A clear image in the mind of something not present
445
3.3
A picture you form in your mind from words or ideas
74
3.5
A picture or model that shows what something looks like
12
3.5
A thought or picture you make in your mind
8
3.5
A clear image you form in your mind
7
3.8
A picture you make in your mind of something not there
5
7.5
Forming a clear idea of something in your mind
4
3.8
A picture in your mind of something you have seen
1
5.3
A picture you remember from a past event
1
9.8
A mental image or impression you get from your senses
A picture in the mind people make to imagine the outside world
An image you make in your mind when you imagine something
A picture in your mind you form when you see something
A clear image in your mind of a past event
A mental picture of a plan or future result
How Vivid
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase's meaning is directly composed from 'mental' (pertaining to the mind) and 'representation' (an image or depiction), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes an image, idea, or concept held in the mind. This adjective+noun composition is cross-linguistically common and follows standard semantic composition patterns, making it readily accessible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Mental representation comes from the image of keeping a small 'picture' or 'map' inside your head: mental means 'in the mind' and representation means a 'picture' or 'model' of something. So it means a 'picture', 'idea', or 'model' you hold in your mind to stand for something you see, remember, or imagine.