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Watch and Learn? Infants Privilege Efficiency Over Pedagogy During Imitative Learning
Author(s) -
Pinkham Ashley M.,
Jaswal Vikram K.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
infancy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.361
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1532-7078
pISSN - 1525-0008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-7078.2010.00059.x
Subject(s) - imitation , psychology , observational learning , privilege (computing) , object (grammar) , empathy , period (music) , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , communication , social psychology , experiential learning , pedagogy , computer science , aesthetics , artificial intelligence , philosophy , computer security
This experiment tested how 18‐month‐old infants’ prior experience with an object affects their imitation. Specifically, we asked whether infants would imitate an adult who used her head to illuminate a light‐box if they had earlier discovered that the light could be illuminated with their hands. In the Self‐Discovery condition, infants had the opportunity to freely explore the light‐box; all infants used their hands to activate the light‐box at least once during this period. The experimenter then entered the room and, while providing explicit pedagogical cues, demonstrated illuminating the light‐box using her forehead. In the Demonstration Only condition, infants just viewed the experimenter’s demonstration. During a subsequent testing phase, infants in the Demonstration Only condition were more likely to use their foreheads to activate the light‐box. Conversely, infants in the Self‐Discovery condition were more likely to use their hands, suggesting that efficiency can “trump” pedagogy in some observational learning contexts.