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Related Experiment Videos

Drinking and driving don't mix: inductive generalization in infancy

J M Mandler1, L McDonough

  • 1Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0515, USA.

Cognition
|June 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Infants generalize properties based on domain, not just appearance. Fourteen-month-olds apply actions like drinking to all animals and driving to all vehicles, showing early abstract reasoning.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Infant Cognition

Background:

  • Traditional view: infant generalization relies on perceptual similarity.
  • Superordinate-level inductions (e.g., animals) considered abstract and later achievements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate inductive generalization in 14-month-old infants.
  • Determine if generalization is based on domain or perceptual similarity.

Main Methods:

  • Modeled properties/actions for animals and vehicles.
  • Assessed infant imitation generalization across same and different domains.

Main Results:

  • Infants generalized drinking/sleeping to all animals.
  • Infants generalized 'being keyed'/'giving a ride' to all vehicles.

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  • Generalizations were domain-constrained, not perceptually driven.

    • Conclusions:

    • 14-month-olds demonstrate domain-based inductive generalization.
    • Early abstract reasoning transcends perceptual similarity in infants.