Work

Experience-Based and On-Line Categorization of Objects in Early Infancy

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: What processes do infants employ in categorizing? Infants might categorize on line as they encounter category-related entities; alternatively, infants might depend on prior experience with entities in formulating categories. These alternatives were tested in forty-four 5-month-olds. Infants who were familiarized in the laboratory with a category of never-before-seen objects subsequently treated novel objects of the same category as familiar-they categorized on line-just as did infants who were exposed to objects from the same category at home for 2 months leading to their laboratory assessment of object categorization. Infants with home experience also recognized novel category objects as familiar from the outset-that is, prior experience with category exemplars was brought to bear in laboratory tasks.

Source: Child Development

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01440.x

Authors: Marc H Bornstein, Clay Mash

Institution: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Language: English

Topic: Child and Animal Learning Development

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Award: Child and Family Development across the First Three Decades