Who's got guts? Young infants expect animals to have insides
Setoh, Pei Pei
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/44201
Description
Title
Who's got guts? Young infants expect animals to have insides
Author(s)
Setoh, Pei Pei
Issue Date
2013-05-24T21:54:03Z
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Baillargeon, Renée
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
Biological reasoning
Infant Cognition
Abstract
What are the developmental origins of our concept of animal? There has long been controversy concerning this question. At issue is whether biological reasoning develops from earlier forms of reasoning, such as physical and psychological reasoning, or whether from a young age children endow animals with biological properties. Here we demonstrate that 8- month-old infants already expect novel objects they identify as animals to have insides. Infants detected a violation when an object that was self-propelled and agentive (but not an object that lacked one or both of these properties) was revealed to be hollow. Infants also detected a violation when an object that was self-propelled and furry (but not an object that lacked one or both of these properties) either was shown to be hollow or rattled (when shaken) as though largely hollow. Young infants’ expectations about animals’ insides may serve as a foundation for the development of more advanced biological knowledge.
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