How babies learn to recognize objects and categories
Infants' self-generated visual statistics support object and category learning
This project looks at how 1-year-old toddlers learn to recognize everyday objects, especially those who might be at risk for developmental delays.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Trustees of Indiana University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bloomington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184371 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project wants to understand how young children, specifically 1-year-old toddlers, learn to recognize objects and put them into categories. We know a lot about how adults do this, but less about how babies develop these skills, which are important for learning words and solving problems. Researchers will use special eye-tracking glasses to see what 100 infants, aged 17 to 22 months, look at as they play with objects. By observing their natural interactions, we hope to learn how their visual experiences help them build these important recognition abilities. This work is especially important for children who may be at risk for conditions like Autistic Disorder, as early object recognition skills are foundational for later development.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this type of research are infants between 17 and 22 months of age.
Not a fit: Patients beyond the infant age range or those not experiencing developmental challenges related to object recognition may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us better understand early childhood development and identify ways to support children who may struggle with object recognition, potentially aiding in early interventions for conditions like Autistic Disorder.
How similar studies have performed: While the general area of infant visual development has been studied, this specific approach of using head-mounted eye-trackers to capture self-generated visual data in real-world interactions is a novel and less explored method.
Where this research is happening
Bloomington, United States
- Trustees of Indiana University — Bloomington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Linda B. — Trustees of Indiana University
- Study coordinator: Smith, Linda B.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.