Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Language Development01:22

Language Development

1.1K
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
1.1K
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

586
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...
586
Concepts and Prototypes01:24

Concepts and Prototypes

652
The human nervous system handles vast amounts of information by translating sensory stimuli into neural impulses, which the brain processes, creating thoughts expressed through language or stored as memories. The brain also synthesizes information from emotions and memories, which significantly influence thoughts and behaviors. This intricate process creates a comprehensive mental picture.
The brain organizes this information using concepts, which are mental categories grouping linguistic data,...
652
Purposive Learning01:22

Purposive Learning

589
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...
589
Introduction to Learning01:18

Introduction to Learning

1.6K
Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
1.6K
Natural and Artificial Concepts01:24

Natural and Artificial Concepts

706
In psychology, concepts can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial. Natural concepts are formed through direct or indirect experiences. For example, consider the concept of snow. If you live in a place with regular snowfall, such as Essex Junction, Vermont, you know snow through direct experiences. You’ve seen it fall, touched it, shoveled it, and played in it. You recognize its texture, appearance, and even its smell. In contrast, if you live on an island like Saint...
706

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Acquiring generic knowledge without induction in infancy.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

Generic information supports the long-term retention of novel labels.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

Children's Trait Inference and Partner Choice in a Cooperative Game.

Child development·2025
Same author

Do infants use cues of saliva-sharing to infer close relationships? A replication of Thomas <i>et al</i>. (2022).

Royal Society open science·2025
Same author

Discourse referents in infancy.

Psychological review·2025
Same author

Young Children's Understanding of Helping as Increasing Another Agent's Utility.

Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science·2025
Same journal

A Field Experiment Testing Whether Accountability Reduces Racial Gaps in Performance Evaluations.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Does Testosterone Affect Cognitive Reflection? Evidence From a Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Study of 1,000 Participants.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Does Overconfidence Really Confer Adaptive Benefits to Children's Learning?

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

How Does the Mind Grow? Cross-Cultural Intuitive Theories of Mental Development.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Not All Practice Is Created Equal: Longitudinal Evidence From Over 40,000 Chess Players.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Eye Glint as a Novel Perceptual Cue in Human Vision.

Psychological science·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
07:31

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

Published on: February 8, 2019

7.4K

Concept-Based Word Learning in Human Infants.

Jun Yin1, Gergely Csibra2

  • 1Cognitive Development Center, Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University yinj@ceu.hu.

Psychological Science
|July 22, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Infants learn object labels by understanding abstract roles, not just appearance. This early word learning shows babies expect new words to describe actions and concepts.

Keywords:
chasing actionconceptsobject kindsopen dataopen materialsperceptual similarityword learning

More Related Videos

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

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

7.2K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

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

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
07:31

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

Published on: February 8, 2019

7.4K
Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

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

7.2K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

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

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.9K

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Theories of early word learning often focus on perceptual features versus object categories.
  • It is debated whether infants map labels to perceptual similarities or conceptual kinds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether infants map novel labels to abstract behavioral roles or perceptual features.
  • To determine if infants prioritize conceptual understanding over perceptual similarity in early word acquisition.

Main Methods:

  • 14-month-old infants were taught labels for action roles (e.g., 'chaser') in interactive scenarios.
  • Experiments involved varying perceptual features of agents performing the role.
  • Infants' preferences for interpreting novel labels were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Infants rapidly learned labels for behavioral roles, even without shared perceptual features.
  • When given a choice, infants preferred to associate novel labels with the agent's role, not appearance.
  • Learning labels for abstract behavioral concepts was as easy as for perceptual object concepts.

Conclusions:

  • Infants can learn word meanings based on abstract behavioral characteristics from an early age.
  • Early word learning involves an expectation that novel words refer to concepts and roles, not just perceptual properties.
  • This suggests a conceptual basis for early word acquisition in infants.