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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Flexible and context-dependent categorization by eighteen-month-olds.

Denis Mareschal¹, Seok Hui Tan

¹School of Psychology, Birkbeck University of London, UK. d.mareschal@bbk.ac.uk

Child Development

|March 3, 2007

Summary

Eighteen-month-old toddlers flexibly categorize objects at basic or global levels. Their choices depend on prior context, with perceptual variability influencing categorization strategies.

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Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

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Published on: November 2, 2012

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Last Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Published on: November 2, 2012

Area of Science:

Cognitive Development
Developmental Psychology
Infant Cognition

Background:

Understanding how infants form object categories is crucial for cognitive development research.
Previous studies indicate varying levels of categorization in early childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the flexibility of categorization in 18-month-olds.
To determine if infants spontaneously select categorization levels based on context.
To explore the role of perceptual variability in infant categorization.

Main Methods:

100 18-month-olds participated in a sequential touching task.
Toys were presented in priming contexts allowing for basic or global categorization.
Mathematical models, including a finite mixture model, were used to analyze data.

Main Results:

Infants demonstrated flexible categorization, choosing between basic and global levels.
The level of categorization was influenced by the preceding prime context.
Perceptual variability predicted the chosen categorization level.
Infants could simultaneously classify objects at both basic and global levels.

Conclusions:

18-month-olds exhibit sophisticated categorization abilities, adapting to contextual cues.
Perceptual factors play a significant role in guiding infant categorization strategies.
This study highlights the dynamic and context-dependent nature of early object categorization.