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Updated: Jan 12, 2026
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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
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Individual Differences in Infants' Curiosity Are Linked to Cognitive Capacity in Early Childhood
Eline R de Boer1, Francesco Poli1,2, Marlene Meyer1
1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Developmental Science
|November 7, 2025
Summary
Infants’ curiosity, measured by their attention to learning opportunities, predicts future cognitive development. Highly curious babies showed better cognitive outcomes, highlighting the long-term impact of early exploration.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Infant Research
Background:
- Infants are inherently curious and seek learning experiences.
- Individual differences exist in how infants' attention is guided by information gain.
- Early attentional differences may influence later cognitive development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal link between infants' sensitivity to information gain and later cognitive development.
- To provide empirical evidence for the connection between early curiosity and cognitive outcomes.
- To explore how individual differences in infant learning behaviors impact long-term cognitive functioning.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study tracking 60 infants (50% female).
- Utilized eye-tracking to measure infants' attention to stimuli offering information gain at 8 months.
- Assessed participants' IQ scores at 3.5 years of age.
Main Results:
- Infants' sensitivity to information gain at 8 months was significantly related to IQ scores at 3.5 years.
- Children exhibiting greater curiosity as infants tended to have higher cognitive development.
- Early individual differences in curiosity-driven exploration have lasting effects.
Conclusions:
- Early attentional biases towards information gain are linked to later cognitive abilities.
- Infant curiosity may act as a developmental boost for cognitive functioning.
- Individual differences in early learning behaviors have significant long-term consequences for cognitive development.
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