title: Which way to take? Infants select an efficient path to their goal.
abstract: In two experiments, we examined the development of the ability to select efficient means in order to attain a goal in 1.5- and 2-year-olds (N = 79) using a setup in which two paths led to a goal. One of the paths was shorter, and thus more efficient, than the other path. Experiment 1 showed a strong tendency in both age groups to choose the shorter path. In Experiment 2, the shorter path was initially blocked and became available only after infants repeatedly took the longer path. Children demonstrated increasing use of the more efficient path over time. The results of both experiments point to some abilities of efficient action selection in infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80802 Munich, Germany. Electronic address: markus.paulus@lmu.de.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80802 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sodian
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male
keywords: Action control; Development; Efficiency; Means selection; Means-End behavior; Teleological reasoning