No Evidence for Curiosity-Driven Information Selection Advantage in Infants' Novel Word Learning.

ABSTRACT: The cognitive mechanisms and benefits of active learning in early child development are poorly understood. The current study investigated 20-23-month-old infants' curiosity-driven information selection in a novel word learning task, designed to identify any potential advantage for active learning over passive learning. In a gaze-contingent eye-tracking paradigm, infants in one condition were given the opportunity to structure their own information seeking to actively create word learning opportunities for themselves, while infants in two other conditions engaged in learning novel words passively. Infants' learning of word-object associations was compared across active and passive learning paradigms. The results indicate no advantage of active information selection on retention of novel wor

SUBMITTER: Bazhydai M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12662157 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature