This study examined whether infants privilege shape over other perceptual properties when making inferences about the shared properties of novel objects. Forty-six 15-month-olds were presented with novel target objects that possessed a nonobvious property, followed by test objects that varied in shape, color, or texture relative to the target.…

Previous research has shown that preschoolers extend labels and internal properties of objects based on those objects' causal properties, even when the causal properties conflict with the objects' perceptual appearance [Nazzi, T., & Gopnik, A. (2000). "A shift in children's use of perceptual and causal cues to categorization." "Developmental…

With a series of four experiments we show that self-produced actions influence infants' perception of actions performed by others. After having played with an object, 7-11-month-olds simultaneously watched two videos presenting adults who act on either the same object or a different one. The 9- and 11-month-old preferred to watch the same-object…

This study examined reasoning about gender roles in a traditional society in Benin, West Africa. Ninety-seven male and female adolescents and adults evaluated conflicts between a husband and a wife over gender norms to determine whether gender norms, are judged to be moral or conventional. Although most attributed decision-making power to the…

Investigates the concept of animacy of 9- and 12-month-old infants by exposing them to autonomous motion with animate and inanimate objects in a series of three experiments. Three experiments were carried out. Results indicated that infants discriminate animate from inanimate objects on the basis of motion cues by the age of nine months. (MOK)

Four experiments used a free-naming task to examine four-year olds' and adults' default construals of solids and nonsolids. Found that children named an individual-related word (such as shape) for solid materials, but gave a substance-related name for nonsolids. Results suggest that children conceptualize solids and nonsolids in distinct,…

Examines preschoolers' understanding of non-observable causal mechanism in causes of illness. Three studies were conducted using subjects from university child care centers. Subjects average five years of age. Results indicated that preschoolers recognize that appearances may be deceiving when it comes to judging causes of illness. Discusses…

Four experiments investigated conceptual categorization in 7- to 11-month-old infants. Data revealed global differentiation of animals and vehicles, with lack of differentiation of basic level categories within the animal domain, in contrast to data from other studies designed to assess perceptual categorization. Results suggest that infants may…

This study examined infants' enumeration of puppet jumping tasks. In Experiment 1, 5-7-month-old infants were familiarized to a puppet jumping two or three times, and tested with both numbers of jumps. Infants looked significantly longer at the new number, replicating Wynn [Psychol. Sci. 7 (1996) 164]. To probe further the stability of infants'…

Responds to four commentaries on the article by Jones and Smith in this issue. Suggests that the comments derive from the possibility that stable concepts might not exist and from the difficulty of imagining what cognition could be without represented concepts. Discusses traditional approaches to stability and variability, and considers what…

Three experiments used an object-examining task to explore infants' attention to function and form-function correlations. The results suggested a developmental progression from attending only to the form of objects, to attending to form and function as separate properties, and finally to attending to the relationship between form and function.…

Reviews current research on children's concepts and categories that reflects a growing consensus that nonperceptual knowledge is central to concepts and determines category membership, whereas perceptual knowledge is peripheral in concepts and only a rough guide to category membership. Argues that there is no compelling basis in theory or in data…

Comments on the article by Jones and Smith in this issue. Responds to the theses that perceptual information is as much at the core of concepts as is nonperceptual information and that concepts are not represented as such but are computed on-line when needed. Presents a view of the relationship between perception and conceptual knowledge…

Comments on the article by Jones and Smith in this issue. Describes a program of research that demonstrates the important influence of perception on the structure of concepts. Proposes that both perceptual and nonperceptual information are important to conceptual structure throughout the continuum of knowledge acquisition and that perception is a…

Comments on the article by Jones and Smith in this issue. Outlines different perspectives from which the issue of conceptual development is approached, elaborating on the functions concepts serve and variations in those functions. Notes points of agreement with the perceptual knowledge view and offers comments on the research supporting the…