BIROn - Birkbeck Institutional Research Online

    Labels direct infants' attention to commonalities during novel category learning

    Althaus, Nadja and Mareschal, Denis (2014) Labels direct infants' attention to commonalities during novel category learning. PLoS One , ISSN 1932-6203.

    [img]
    Preview
    Text
    11773.pdf - Published Version of Record
    Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

    Download (827kB) | Preview

    Abstract

    Recent studies have provided evidence that labeling can influence the outcome of infants’ visual categorization. However, what exactly happens during learning remains unclear. Using eye-tracking, we examined infants’ attention to object parts during learning. Our analysis of looking behaviors during learning provide insights going beyond merely observing the learning outcome. Both labeling and non-labeling phrases facilitated category formation in 12-month-olds but not 8-month-olds (Experiment 1). Non-linguistic sounds did not produce this effect (Experiment 2). Detailed analyses of infants’ looking patterns during learning revealed that only infants who heard labels exhibited a rapid focus on the object part successive exemplars had in common. Although other linguistic stimuli may also be beneficial for learning, it is therefore concluded that labels have a unique impact on categorization.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences
    Research Centres and Institutes: Educational Neuroscience, Centre for, Brain and Cognitive Development, Centre for (CBCD)
    Depositing User: Sarah Hall
    Date Deposited: 03 Mar 2015 14:53
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:15
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/11773

    Statistics

    Activity Overview
    6 month trend
    324Downloads
    6 month trend
    471Hits

    Additional statistics are available via IRStats2.

    Archive Staff Only (login required)

    Edit/View Item
    Edit/View Item