Developmental origin of the animate-inanimate distinction

Citation
Dh. Rakison et D. Poulin-dubois, Developmental origin of the animate-inanimate distinction, PSYCHOL B, 127(2), 2001, pp. 209-228
Citations number
166
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology,"Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN
ISSN journal
00332909 → ACNP
Volume
127
Issue
2
Year of publication
2001
Pages
209 - 228
Database
ISI
SICI code
0033-2909(200103)127:2<209:DOOTAD>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
The authors examine recent theoretical perspectives of the development of t he animate-inanimate distinction in infancy. From these theoretical views e merge 7 characteristic properties, each related to physical or psychologica l causality, that distinguish animates from inanimates. The literature is r eviewed for evidence of infants' ability to perceive and understand each of these properties. Infants associate some animate properties with people by 6 months, but they do not associate the appropriate properties to the broa d category of animates and inanimates until at least the middle of the 2nd year. The authors offer a theoretical proposal whereby infants acquire know ledge about the properties of different object kinds through a sensitive pe rceptual system and a domain general associative learning mechanism that ex tracts correlations among dynamic and static features.