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Related Concept Videos

Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Decision Making: Traditional Method01:14

Decision Making: Traditional Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...

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Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
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Published on: February 8, 2019

Goal directedness and decision making in infants.

Ben Kenward1, Sara Folke, Jacob Holmberg

  • 1Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. ben.kenward@wolfson.oxon.org

Developmental Psychology
|May 6, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Two-year-olds demonstrate decision-making skills by adjusting actions based on object value. Younger infants, however, do not show this sensitivity, suggesting developing cognitive processes for goal-directed behavior.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • Goal-directed behavior involves motor planning and decision-making.
  • Infant decision-making capabilities, particularly integrating desire and knowledge, remain largely unexplored.
  • Understanding infant decision-making is crucial for developmental psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether 24-month-old infants exhibit decision-making by showing sensitivity to outcome value.
  • To determine the developmental trajectory of decision-making in infancy by comparing 14-, 19-, and 24-month-olds.
  • To explore the integration of desire and knowledge in infant goal-directed actions.

Main Methods:

  • Infants learned to retrieve an object by performing an action (pressing a button).
  • The object's value was manipulated (increased) for the experimental group.
  • Behavioral responses to retrieve the object after its disappearance were compared between groups.

Main Results:

  • 24-month-olds were more likely to repeat the action when the object's value had increased.
  • 14- and 19-month-olds did not show increased action initiation based on outcome value.
  • This suggests a developmental emergence of decision-making around 24 months.

Conclusions:

  • 24-month-olds demonstrate a hallmark of decision-making: sensitivity to outcome value.
  • Younger infants (14- and 19-month-olds) may lack the ability to integrate desire and knowledge for decision-making.
  • Further research is needed to pinpoint the exact cognitive mechanisms underlying this developmental shift.