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Pick the flowers and mind your As and 2s! Categorization by pigeons and infants
Book chapter

Pick the flowers and mind your As and 2s! Categorization by pigeons and infants

Edward A Wasserman and Carolyn Rovee-Collier
Animal research and human health: Advancing human welfare through behavioral science, pp.263-279
American Psychological Association
2001
DOI: 10.1037/10441-017

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Abstract

This chapter discusses research of visual perception in pigeons and relates the finding to visual perception in infants. The purpose of this research is to understand how humans and animals bring past learning to bear in new situation by categorizing information. First, the authors present evidence that animals, despite lacking language, are capable of categorization. Second, parallel evidence from preverbal human infants that categorization is not limited by age is presented. Finally, the authors argue that ubiquity of categorization marks it as a fundamental adaptive mechanism that has been selected over the course of evolution. The comparative and developmental study of categorization is thus basic to the understanding of this key determinant of psychological health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)
Cognitive & Perceptual Development Learning & Motivation

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