U-SHAPED DEVELOPMENT IN INFANT COGNITION AND PERCEPTION

该子项目是利用NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为中心机构，不一定为研究者机构。尽管传统上认为婴儿或儿童的发展遵循一种递增的单调模式，即随着年龄的增长而提高，但更仔细的检查表明，婴儿可能会暂时退回到较低的水平，随后达到较高的表现水平（Cashon & Cohen，2003，2004; Werker，Fennell，Corcoran，& Stager，2002）。在某些情况下，这种退化可能是永久性的（Pascalis，de哈安，&纳尔逊，2002）。这种倒退模式肯定否定了发展只需要稳步改善的传统观念。因此，由于这些回归不是由理论预测的，当它们确实出现时，它们通常是出乎意料的，并且不被理解。鉴于这一领域的信息缺乏，迫切需要阐明这一过程及其对预测发育结果的影响，我们提出的研究的总体目标是调查婴儿期发现的U形发育模式所涉及的潜在机制。更具体地说，我们将确定这些模式是否反映了一个域一般的，自适应的学习过程，使婴儿变得更加适合他/她的环境，或者他们是否反映了变化，是实验任务的文物。 当婴儿表现出U型发展模式时，通常被视为“重组”的结果（Werker & Tees，1984）。我们最近认为（Cashon & Cohen，2003; 2004），当婴儿适应他们的环境时，这种回归是必要的。婴儿必须在成为周围世界专家的过程中吸收重要信息。然而，作为重组过程的结果，婴儿可能会暂时退回到较低的水平。两个具体目标将解决拟议研究的目标，即阐明婴儿期U形发展模式的潜在机制。这两个目标都将通过测试婴儿的视觉习惯任务来实现，即婴儿在观看一系列面部和移动物体时的注视时间被测量。目标1将建立在先前的研究基础上，表明婴儿的面部处理遵循U形模式。目标2将根据经验检验U形发展先于自适应约束发展的预测。目的2将通过调查婴儿对形状-功能相关性的感知来实现。 目的1探讨婴儿面孔加工的U型发展模式的基础。在之前的一组研究中，我们发现，在3到7个月大的时候，婴儿对面部的处理会产生一个U形模式，在大约6个月大的时候表现会下降（Cashon & Cohen，2004）。我们认为，这种回归是必要的，但暂时的变化所造成的超载，因为婴儿试图纳入重要信息的面孔。这一概念与婴儿认知和感知的其他领域的研究一致，这些研究表明，当整合新信息时，婴儿会退回到较低的处理水平（Cohen，Chaput和Cashon，2002）。或者，明显的U形可能是6个月大的婴儿将注意力转移到眼睛和眉毛上的结果。目标1将研究这两个替代假设。据预测，6个月奥尔兹将表现出超负荷的证据，而不仅仅是简单地处理面部的眼睛和眉毛。 目的2：探讨婴儿U型发展模式的基础--形状-功能关系的加工。U型发展何时发生的预测是缺乏的。我们认为，U形模式发生之前，知觉的认知修剪。因此，我们可以预期婴儿在处理形状-功能相关性时会表现出U形的发展模式。Madole和Cohen（1995）先前的研究表明，婴儿在14到18个月大的时候，对这些相关性的处理产生了适应性约束。根据我们的假设，我们预测在这两个年龄段之间表现会下降。更具体地说，Madole和Cohen报告说，14个月大的婴儿对物体特征的外观（形式）与其功能之间的相关性（特征内形式-功能相关性）以及一个特征的形式与另一个特征的功能之间的相关性（特征间形式-功能相关性）非常敏感。重要的是，他们还报告说，18个月大的婴儿只对特征内的形式-功能相关性敏感。我们的具体预测是，婴儿在大约16个月时会退化，对任何一种相关性都不敏感。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Although development is traditionally thought to follow an increasing, monotonic pattern in which infants or children improve with age, closer examination indicates that infants may regress temporarily to a lower level, subsequent to achieving a higher level of performance (Cashon & Cohen, 2003, 2004; Werker, Fennell, Corcoran, & Stager, 2002). In some cases this regression may be permanent (Pascalis, de Haan, & Nelson, 2002). Such regression patterns certainly negate the traditional notion that development only entails steady improvement. Accordingly, since these regressions are not predicted by theories, when they do appear they are usually unexpected and not understood. Given the paucity of information in this area and the critical need for elucidating this process and its consequences for predicting developmental outcomes, our overall GOAL for the proposed research is to investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in U-shaped patterns of development found during infancy. More specifically, we will determine whether such patterns reflect a domain-general, adaptive learning process that allows the infant to become more tailored to his/her environment or whether they reflect changes that are artifacts of the experimental task. When infants display a U-shaped pattern of development, it is often viewed as a result of ¿reorganization¿ (Werker & Tees, 1984). We recently argued (Cashon & Cohen, 2003; 2004) that such regressions are necessary as infants adapt to their environment. Infants must incorporate important information en route to becoming ¿experts¿ in the world around them. As a result of the reorganization process, however, infants may temporarily regress to a lower level. Two specific aims will address the GOAL of the proposed research, which is to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in U-shaped patterns of development during infancy. Both aims will be met by testing infants in a visual habituation task, whereby infants¿ looking times are measured while they view a series of faces and moving objects. Aim 1 will build upon previous research indicating that infants¿ face processing follows a U-shaped pattern. Aim 2 will empirically test the prediction that U-shaped development occurs prior to the development of an adaptive constraint. Aim 2 will be achieved by investigating infants¿ perception of form-function correlations. Aim 1 investigates the bases for the U-shaped pattern of development in infants¿ processing of faces. In a previous set of studies, we found that between 3 and 7 months of age, infants¿ processing of faces produces a U-shaped pattern with a drop in performance occurring at approximately 6 months of age (Cashon & Cohen, 2004). We argue this regression is a necessary, but temporary change resulting from overload as infants try to incorporate important information about faces. This notion is consistent with research in other areas of infant cognition and perception showing that when integrating new information infants regress to a lower level of processing (Cohen, Chaput, & Cashon, 2002). Alternatively, the apparent U-shape could be the result of 6-month-olds shifting their attention to focus exclusively on the eyes and eyebrows of a face. Aim 1 will investigate these two alternate hypotheses. It is predicted that 6 month olds will show evidence of overload and not of simply processing the eyes and eyebrows of a face. Aim 2 investigates the bases for U-shaped pattern of development in infants¿ processing of form-function correlations. Predictions of when U-shaped development will occur are lacking. We argue that U-shaped patterns occur just prior to perceptual of cognitive pruning. Accordingly, we would expect infants to show a U-shaped developmental pattern in their processing of form-function correlations. Previous research by Madole and Cohen (1995) indicates that infants develop an adaptive constraint on their processing these correlations between 14 and 18 months of age. Based on our hypothesis, we predict that a drop in performance occurs between these two ages. More specifically, Madole and Cohen reported finding that 14-month-olds are sensitive to the correlation between the appearance (form) of a feature of an object and its function (within-feature form-function correlation) as well as the form of one feature and the function of another (between-feature form-function correlation). Importantly, they also reported that 18-month-olds are sensitive only to the within-feature form-function correlation. Our specific prediction is that infants at approximately 16 months will regress and show no sensitivity to either correlation.