The acquisition of physical knowledge in infancy

Baillargeon, Renée; Kotovsky, Laura; Needham, Amy

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524021.003.0004

Cited by 194 publications

(102 citation statements)

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“…In so far as spatial information is being analyzed in support situations, a primitive of ATTACHMENT may be used, in the sense that 3 month olds expect an object to stay even on a vertical surface if it is in contact with it. Over the next months infants gradually learn details about the amount of overlap with a hori-zontal surface an object needs if it is not to fall (Baillargeon et al 1995). These data implicate path primitives of INTO CONTAINER, OUT OF CONTAINER, ONTO SURFACE, OFF OF SURFACE, CON-TACT, ATTACHMENT (as well as CONTAINER and SURFACE themselves).…”

Section: Spatial Primitives and Some Early Concepts Constructed From mentioning

confidence: 90%

The spatial foundations of the conceptual system

Mandler

2010

Lang Cognition

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This article proposes that the representation of concepts in infancy is in the form of spatial image-schemas. A mechanism that simplifies spatial information is described along with a small set of spatial primitives that are sufficient to account for the conceptualizations that preverbal infants use to interpret objects and events. This early system is important to understand because it organizes the adult conceptual system of objects and events and remains its core. With development, the system becomes enriched by language in several ways, and also by means of analogical extension to nonspatial information. Nonspatial bodily information, such as feelings of force and motor activity, is also added, but remains secondary. It becomes associated with spatial representations, but except for its spatial aspects is represented in a more inchoate and less accessible fashion.

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Section: Spatial Primitives and Some Early Concepts Constructed From mentioning

confidence: 90%

The spatial foundations of the conceptual system

Mandler

2010

Lang Cognition

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“…Acquiring true basic-level understanding appears to be a gradual process. Children might first learn that certain kinds of objects are containers (Baillargeon, Kotovsky, & Needham, 1995); then that small containers, whether cups or frying pans, are used for drinking and large containers are used for washing and sleeping; then that some large containers are used for sleeping and others only for washing; and, finally, the specifics that differentiate tubs from sinks. This specific developmental progression is speculative, of course, because we have only collected some of the relevant data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing Downward to the Basic Level

Mandler

McDonough²

2000

Journal of Cognition and Development

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In 3 experiments, we studied whether infants and young children understand various basic-level conceptual distinctions in the domains of household artifacts, animals, and vehicles. Using small replicas, we modeled events such as washing dishes in a sink for children 14, 19, and 24 months old, and then gave them an exemplar from the same basic-level concept (another sink) and an exemplar of another concept from the same domain (bathtub). We measured which object they used to imitate the event. Fourteen-month-olds did not differentiate among basic-level categories in any of these domains, for example, washing dishes in both a tub and a sink, and putting both a rabbit and a bird in a nest. By 19 months, inappropriate behavior was greatly reduced for household artifacts and for vehicles, but not for animals. By 24 months, performance was mainly appropriate for all 3 domains. It was also shown that although 14-month-olds are not making many conceptual distinctions at the basic level, they are nevertheless beginning to make some broader conceptual distinctions among artifacts.

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“…Such reactions are even found in young infants: Leslie and Keeble (1987) provided experimental evidence that even 27-week old infants perceive a causal relationship. Baillargeon, Kotovsky, and Needham (1995) report that infants as young as 2.5 months expect a stationery object to be displaced when it is hit by a moving object;…”

Section: Explanation and Causalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Abductive Inference: From Philosophical Analysis to Neural Mechanisms

Thagard¹

2001

Inductive Reasoning

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The acquisition of physical knowledge in infancy

Cited by 194 publications

References 0 publications

The spatial foundations of the conceptual system

The spatial foundations of the conceptual system

Advancing Downward to the Basic Level

Abductive Inference: From Philosophical Analysis to Neural Mechanisms

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