Infants' individuation of agents and inert objects

Developmental Science
Luca Surian, Stefania Caldi

Abstract

Using the violation-of-expectancy method, we investigated 10-month-old infants' ability to rely on dynamic features in object individuation processes. Infants were first familiarized to events in which two different objects repeatedly appeared and disappeared, one at a time from behind a screen; at test, the screen was removed, revealing either one or two objects. In Experiment 1, one self-moving non-rigid agent and one inert object were involved in each trial, while in Experiment 2 two different agents were presented. Infants preferred to look at one-object outcomes in Experiment 1, but they did not show any preference for one- or two-object outcomes in Experiment 2. The results suggest that infants can use dynamic information to detect agents in complex individuation tasks before they can rely on shape or surface features. We propose that the sortals agent and inert object appear in development before 12 months without a substantial contribution of linguistic experience. These findings may motivate a revision of current theories on the development of kind-based individuation and object files.

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Citations

Dec 4, 2012·Language Learning and Development : the Official Journal of the Society for Language Development·Renée BaillargeonAmélie Bernard
Feb 24, 2016·Developmental Science·Elisa Di GiorgioGiorgio Vallortigara
Aug 31, 2012·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Jennifer M Zosh, Lisa Feigenson
Mar 21, 2012·The British Journal of Developmental Psychology·Luca Surian, Alessandra Geraci
Mar 28, 2016·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Martyna Galazka, Pär Nyström
Mar 16, 2012·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Anne SchlottmannLuca Surian
May 27, 2015·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Teresa Wilcox, Marisa Biondi
Nov 21, 2016·Developmental Science·Maayan Stavans, Renée Baillargeon
Jul 7, 2017·Journal of Child Language·Elaine ReeseSusan Morton
Oct 18, 2011·Infant and Child Development·Meredith L Rowe, Allison Casillas
Aug 3, 2019·Brain Sciences·Charisse B Pickron, Erik W Cheries
Sep 20, 2017·Psychonomic Bulletin & Review·Hernando Taborda-Osorio, Erik W Cheries
Jun 20, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Hernando Taborda-OsorioErik W Cheries
Jan 14, 2021·Scientific Reports·Elisa Di GiorgioFrancesca Simion
Nov 17, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Frauke HildebrandtRamiro Glauer
Feb 18, 2018·Cognition·Hernando Taborda-Osorio, Erik W Cheries
May 4, 2021·Cognition·Barbara PomiechowskaTeodora Gliga

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