Abstract
Across three experiments, we examined 9‐ and 11‐month‐olds' mappings of novel sound properties to novel animal categories. Infants were familiarized with novel animal–novel sound pairings (e.g., Animal A [red]–Sound 1) and then tested on: (1) their acquisition of the original pairing and (2) their generalization of the sound property to a new member of a familiarized category (e.g., Animal A [blue]–Sound 1). When familiarized with a single exemplar of a category, 11‐month‐olds showed no evidence of acquiring or generalizing the animal–sound pairings. In contrast, 11‐month‐olds learnt the original animal–sound mappings and generalized the sound property to a novel member of that category when familiarized with multiple exemplars of a category. Finally, when familiarized with multiple exemplars, 9‐month‐old infants learnt the original animal–sound pairing, but did not extend the novel sound property. The results of these experiments provide evidence for developmental differences in the facilitative role of multiple exemplars in promoting the learning and generalization of information.
Highlights
Across three experiments, we examined 9- and 11-month-olds’ mappings of novel sound properties to novel animal categories
In Experiments 1 and 2, we investigated whether 11-month-olds’ will learn a novel animal–novel sound pairing and extend that sound property to new exemplars of a familiarized category
Infants did not generalize the sound property to a new member of the familiarized category, as their looking time increased to the extension trial, relative to the same trial
Summary
We examined 9- and 11-month-olds’ mappings of novel sound properties to novel animal categories. 11-month-olds learnt the original animal–sound mappings and generalized the sound property to a novel member of that category when familiarized with multiple exemplars of a category. When familiarized with multiple exemplars, 9-monthold infants learnt the original animal–sound pairing, but did not extend the novel sound property. The results of these experiments provide evidence for developmental differences in the facilitative role of multiple exemplars in promoting the learning and generalization of information. Exposure to a more uniform set of exemplars led 10-montholds to differentiate between the categories of land and sea animals (Oakes & Spalding, 1997) This is in contrast to familiarization with a more diverse set of exemplars, which promoted the formation of a broader category of animals. This research suggests that, early in development, infants can successfully categorize novel and familiar objects, and draw upon a variety of cues when making their categorical decisions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
