Learning to recognize objects
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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

An Objective and Reproducible Test of Olfactory Learning and Discrimination in Mice
Published on: March 22, 2018
1Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405, USA. smith4@indiana.edu
Abstract:
A theory of object recognition requires a theory of shape. Despite considerable empirical and theoretical research, however, a definition of object shape has proved elusive. Two experiments provide new insights by showing that children's object recognition changes dramatically during the period between 17 and 25 months. During this time, children develop the ability to recognize stylized three-dimensional caricatures of known and novel objects. This ability is linked to the number of object names in children's vocabularies, suggesting that category learning may be a driving force behind the developmental changes.
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