Rule learning by seven-month-old infants

G F Marcus1, S Vijayan, S Bandi Rao

  • 1Department of Psychology, New York University, 6 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA. gary.marcus@nyu.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 5, 1999
PubMed

Related Concept Videos

Behaviorist Approach of Cognitive Development01:18

Behaviorist Approach of Cognitive Development

Learning approaches explain cognitive development through observable learning processes and the ways experiences shape behavior. During infancy, learning can happen through classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling. These processes allow infants to form associations, respond to consequences, and learn by observing others.Classical and Operant ConditioningClassical conditioning happens when an infant associates a previously neutral stimulus with another stimulus that naturally...
Social Referencing During Infancy and Toddlerhood01:27

Social Referencing During Infancy and Toddlerhood

Social referencing is the process by which infants and young children use others’ emotional reactions to determine how to respond to unfamiliar or uncertain situations. Caregivers provide cues through facial expressions, tone of voice, and behavior, helping children judge whether an object or event is safe, threatening, or enjoyable. This ability supports emotional development, social learning, and adaptation to the surrounding environment.Development of Social ReferencingSocial referencing...
Imitation During Infancy and Toddlerhood01:27

Imitation During Infancy and Toddlerhood

Imitation is an important form of learning in early childhood, allowing children to learn new behaviors and participate in social interactions. Children imitate others for different purposes. They may copy adults and peers to learn skills and build social connections. Imitation becomes especially important toward the end of the first year.Early Development of ImitationPiaget observed that infants initially imitate actions they can see themselves perform, such as hand or foot movements. By about...
Perceiving Language Sounds and Structure During Infancy01:20

Perceiving Language Sounds and Structure During Infancy

Infants are born with a predisposition to perceive and categorize basic linguistic sounds. Early in development, they can discriminate sounds from many languages and detect differences in rhythm and pattern. This sensitivity may begin before birth. Newborns exposed to two languages prenatally can recognize both, indicating that fetal language exposure influences later auditory discrimination.Recognition of Familiar SoundsBy five months, infants show preferences for familiar auditory stimuli,...
Symbolic Understanding II: Displaced Reference01:27

Symbolic Understanding II: Displaced Reference

Displaced reference is an important milestone in symbolic understanding that begins to emerge around 12 months of age. It is the ability to use words to refer to objects, people, or events that are not currently visible. This ability allows infants and toddlers to learn through communication even when objects or events are not directly present.Early DevelopmentBy approximately 12 to 13 months, infants may respond to the name of an absent familiar object by looking or pointing toward the place...
Sensorimotor Stage II: Substages 4 to 601:27

Sensorimotor Stage II: Substages 4 to 6

Piaget’s sensorimotor stage describes cognitive development from birth to approximately two years. During this stage, infants progress from reflexive behavior toward intentional action and early symbolic thought. Substages four through six show major advances in problem-solving, experimentation, and mental representation.Substage 4: Coordination of Secondary Circular ReactionsFrom approximately 8 to 12 months, infants begin coordinating previously learned behaviors to achieve specific goals.