Three-month-old infants' categorization of animals and vehicles based on static and dynamic attributes.
Three-month-old infants' categorization of animals and vehicles based on static and dynamic attributes was investigated using a multiple-exemplar habituation-test paradigm. Half of the infants viewed static color images of animals and vehicles, and the other half viewed dynamic point-light displays of the same animals and vehicles. Following habituation, infants viewed a novel exemplar from the habituation category and an exemplar from a novel category. Regardless of whether they viewed static or dynamic displays, infants showed habituation to varying exemplars from the same category, generalized habituation to a novel exemplar from the habituation category, dishabituated to an exemplar from a novel category, and showed a significant novelty preference for a novel-category exemplar. These findings suggest that infants categorize animals and vehicles using either static or dynamic information.
Arterberry
M E
ME
Child and Family Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-7971. arterber@gettysburg.edu
Bornstein
M H
MH
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography