ERIC Number: EJ684469
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Jan
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
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Available Date: N/A
Object Retrieval in the 1st Year of Life: Learning Effects of Task Exposure and Box Transparency
Bojczyk, Kathryn E.; Corbetta, Daniela
Developmental Psychology, v40 n1 p54-66 Jan 2004
Before 12 months of age, infants have difficulties coordinating and sequencing their movements to retrieve an object concealed in a box. This study examined (a) whether young infants can discover effective retrieval solutions and consolidate movement coordination earlier if exposed regularly to such a task and (b) whether different environments, indexed by box transparency, would impact the rate of learning and time of discovery of these solutions. Infants (N=12) were presented with an object retrieval task every week from 6 1/2 months of age until they were able to retrieve the toy from the box using coordinated two-handed patterns for 3 weeks. To reach that criterion, infants tested with an opaque box took 2 1/2 months and infants tested with a semitransparent box took 1 1/2 months. Both groups outperformed age-matched controls who received a one-time exposure to the task. Repeated exposure to the task and vision of the toy significantly enhanced this process of solution discovery.
Descriptors: Toys, Infants, Physical Development, Task Analysis, Cognitive Development, Time Factors (Learning), Discovery Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A