Preschoolers search for hidden objects.
The issue of whether young children use spatio-temporal information (e.g., movement of objects through time and space) and/or contact-mechanical information (e.g., interaction between objects) to search for a hidden object was investigated. To determine whether one cue can have priority over the other, a dynamic event that put these cues into conflict was created, with only spatio-temporal information being valid. The 3-year-olds used in the study were found to use the valid spatio-temporal cue exclusively and seemed to ignore the contact-mechanical cue. Both search behavior and eye tracking during the event support the view of a sophisticated sensitivity to the validity of a cue in indicating a target's hidden location.
Life-Span Development Laboratory, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. jmhaddad@purdue.edu
Jeffrey M
JM
Haddad
Yuping
Y
Chen
Rachel
R
Keen
D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
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