ABSTRACT

A major task for any researcher of infant cognition is to discover just what changes as infants become older and what remains the same. Traditional explanations of early cognitive development have focused on global issues such as whether that development proceeds in a gradual or in an abrupt, stagelike manner. Using our own research on infant visual perception and categorization as examples, I argue that these traditional explanations are inadequate. In order to understand any area of infant development, and infant cognition is no exception, one must analyze that area in terms of its relevant processes and the interactions among these processes. It is quite possible that over age some processes will change gradually, others more abruptly, and still others not at all. Furthermore, while it goes without saying that any understanding of infant cognitive development requires an extensive investigation of human infants at several different ages, I also hope to demonstrate how information obtained from adult humans as well as animals can aid in the investigation.