Comment on "Infants' perseverative search errors are induced by pragmatic misinterpretation".
Topál et al. (Reports, 26 September 2008, p. 1831) proposed that infants' perseverative search errors can be explained by ostensive cues from the experimenter. We use the dynamic field theory to test the proposal that infants encode locations more weakly when social cues are present. Quantitative simulations show that this account explains infants' performance without recourse to the theory of natural pedagogy.
Department of Psychology and Delta Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. john-spencer@uiowa.edu
John P
JP
Spencer
Evelina
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Dineva
Linda B
LB
Smith
D003071:Cognition; D003142:Communication; D003463:Cues; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D012919:Social Behavior