What happens inside my head when I think?

Abstract

The images about the brain have been gained prominence in the 21st century. In this work, we seek to recognize the representations of children about the functioning of thought, ideas involving mind and brain. This study replicates the Piagetian tradition research conducted with the following guiding question: ‘What happens inside my head when am I thinking?’ The data were collected through interviews and mainly from the drawings made by the children to represent their beliefs. A total of 51 children from four to twelve years old, from public and private schools from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, took part in the study. The collected data were discussed with the original research and intended to understand children’s thinking in their representations about the functioning of the mind and brain. It was possible to identify that child associate the functioning of thought with family contexts, typical contents, and key ideas that demonstrate their personal beliefs. The references used in the child representations —for Genevese or Brazilian children— point to feelings, blood flow, mental image, lamps, gears, straps, briefcases, memory, and others. The results found with Brazilian children are very similar to the original research, even though the time gap between polls is considerable. In all ages, the typical content classified as biological was the most indicated by the children.