Uneven integration for perception and action cues in children's working memory.
We examined the development of visual cue integration in a desktop working-memory task using boxes with different visual action cues (opening actions) and perceptual surface cues (colours, monochromatic textures, or images of faces). Children had to recall which box held a hidden toy, based on (a) the action cue, (b) the surface cue, or (c) a conjunction of the two. Results from three experiments show a set of asymmetries in children's integration of action and surface cues. The 18-24-month-olds disregarded colour in conjunction judgements with action; 30-36-month-olds used colour but disregarded texture. Images of faces were not disregarded at either age. We suggest that 18-24-month-olds' disregard of colour, seen previously in reorientation tasks (Hermer & Spelke, 1994), may represent a general phenomenon, likened to uneven integration between the dorsal and ventral streams in early development.
Nardini
Marko
M
Department of Psychology, University College London, London, UK. m.nardini@ucl.ac.uk
Braddick
Oliver
O
Atkinson
Janette
J
Cowie
Dorothy A
DA
Ahmed
Taski
T
Reidy
Hannah
H
D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017010:Reminder Systems; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000254:growth & development; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*