Infant perceptual and conceptual categorization: the roles of static and dynamic stimulus attributes

Abstract

Infants' categorization of animals and vehicles based on static vs. dynamic attributes of stimuli was investigated in five experiments (N=158) using a categorization habituation-of-looking paradigm. In Experiment 1, 6-month-olds categorized static color images of animals and vehicles, and in Experiment 2, 6-month-olds categorized dynamic point-light displays showing only motions of the same animals and vehicles. In Experiments 3, 4, and 5, 6- and 9-month-olds were tested in an habituation-transfer paradigm: half of the infants at each age were habituated to static images and tested with dynamic point-light displays, and the other half were habituated to dynamic point-light displays and tested with static images. Six-month-olds did not transfer. Only 9-month-olds who were habituated to dynamic displays showed evidence of category transfer to static images. Together the findings show that 6-month-olds categorize animals and vehicles based on static and dynamic information, and 9-month-olds can transfer dynamic category information to static images. Transfer, static vs. dynamic information, and age effects in infant categorization are discussed.