Who's got guts? Young infants expect animals to have insides

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Setoh, Pei Pei

Contributors dc:contributor

• Baillargeon, Renée

• Biological reasoning
• Infant Cognition

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Pei Pei Setoh

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44201

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/44201