The effect of category -specific training on infants' inductive generalizations of basic-level animal properties
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to examine the influence of category-specific training on 15- and 19-month-old infants' inductive generalizations of basic-level animal properties. Using picture books featuring toy animals and props, 32 infants were trained on properties associated with four animal categories. The standard generalized imitation task was then administered to assess patterns of inductive generalization for two trained properties and two untrained properties across the same categories. Consistent with previous research findings with basic-level animal properties, the younger infants in particular were equally likely to generalize the modeled property to either a novel member of the modeling category or the contrast category on the untrained properties. However, with as little as 1 to 2 minutes of training on each property, infants generalized the modeled property to the test object from the modeling category. A follow-up study utilizing incongruent animal properties (e.g., frogs eat bananas) supported the training effects on 15-month-olds' inductions. Previous claims regarding the influence of global animal concepts on young infants' patterns of inductive generalization are discussed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Younger-Rossmann, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Developmental psychology
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