Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
Published on: February 8, 2019
Contingencies Between Infants' Gaze, Vocal, and Manual Actions and Mothers' Object-Naming: Longitudinal Changes From
Lucas Chang1, Kaya de Barbaro2, Gedeon Deák1
1a Department of Cognitive Science , University of California San Diego , San Diego , California.
Abstract:
Infants' early motor actions help organize social interactions, forming the context of caregiver speech. We investigated changes across the first year in social contingencies between infant gaze and object exploration, and mothers' speech. We recorded mother-infant object play at 4, 6, and 9 months, identifying infants' and mothers' gaze and hand actions, and mothers' object naming and general utterances. Mothers named objects more when infants vocalized, looked at objects or the mother's face, or handled multiple objects. As infants aged, their increasing object exploration created opportunities for caregiver contingencies and changed how gaze and hands accompany object naming over time.
More Related Videos
06:07Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm
Published on: May 15, 2019
05:35Experience 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
Related Concept Videos
Language Development
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...
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
Exploration...
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
The Nativist Approach
Relationship with Parents: Attachment