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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

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

Object retrieval through observational learning in 8- to 18-month-old infants.

R Esseily¹, J Nadel, J Fagard

¹Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8158, Centre Biomédical des Saints Pères, Paris, France.

Infant Behavior & Development

|August 17, 2010

Summary

Infants aged 10 to 12 months show a significant change in their ability to learn new skills through observation. This developmental milestone impacts early cognitive development and learning processes.

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Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

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Published on: April 28, 2016

Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Cognitive Science
Infant Studies

Background:

Observational learning is a key mechanism for skill acquisition.
Understanding developmental changes in infant learning is crucial for cognitive science.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the developmental trajectory of observational learning in infants.
To identify specific age-related changes in the capacity for observational skill acquisition.

Main Methods:

Studied observational learning in infants aged 8, 10, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Utilized object-retrieval tasks of comparable difficulty across age groups.

Main Results:

A significant change in the capacity for observational learning was observed between 10 and 12 months of age.
Infants in this age range demonstrated an enhanced ability to learn new skills by watching.

Conclusions:

The period between 10 and 12 months marks a critical developmental window for observational learning.
This finding provides insights into the early development of social learning and cognitive abilities in infants.