Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief Task
Infants’ performance in non-verbal false-belief tasks is often interpreted as if they have understood false beliefs. This view has been questioned by a recent account that explains infants’ performance in non-verbal false-belief tasks as the result of susceptibility to memory interference and distra...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00857/full |
| _version_ | 1818515170378383360 |
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| author | Norbert eZmyj Wolfgang ePrinz Moritz M. Daum |
| author_facet | Norbert eZmyj Wolfgang ePrinz Moritz M. Daum |
| author_sort | Norbert eZmyj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Infants’ performance in non-verbal false-belief tasks is often interpreted as if they have understood false beliefs. This view has been questioned by a recent account that explains infants’ performance in non-verbal false-belief tasks as the result of susceptibility to memory interference and distraction. We tested this alternative account by investigating the relationship between infants’ false-belief understanding, susceptibility to memory interference and distraction, and general cognitive development in 18-month-old infants (N = 22). False-belief understanding was tested in an anticipatory looking paradigm of a standard false-belief task. Susceptibility to memory interference and distraction was tested in a modified A-not-B task. Cognitive development was measured via the Mental Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. We did not find any relationship between infants’ performance in the false-belief task and the A-not-B task, even after controlling for cognitive development. This study shows that there is no ubiquitous relation between susceptibility to memory interference and distraction and performance in a false-belief task in infancy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:25:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cec8f9d79a8d4a5f87ab6b83b66d1e18 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:25:37Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cec8f9d79a8d4a5f87ab6b83b66d1e182022-12-22T01:27:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-06-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.00857124944Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief TaskNorbert eZmyj0Wolfgang ePrinz1Moritz M. Daum2TU Dortmund UniversityMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesUniversity of ZurichInfants’ performance in non-verbal false-belief tasks is often interpreted as if they have understood false beliefs. This view has been questioned by a recent account that explains infants’ performance in non-verbal false-belief tasks as the result of susceptibility to memory interference and distraction. We tested this alternative account by investigating the relationship between infants’ false-belief understanding, susceptibility to memory interference and distraction, and general cognitive development in 18-month-old infants (N = 22). False-belief understanding was tested in an anticipatory looking paradigm of a standard false-belief task. Susceptibility to memory interference and distraction was tested in a modified A-not-B task. Cognitive development was measured via the Mental Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. We did not find any relationship between infants’ performance in the false-belief task and the A-not-B task, even after controlling for cognitive development. This study shows that there is no ubiquitous relation between susceptibility to memory interference and distraction and performance in a false-belief task in infancy.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00857/fullInfancydistractionInhibitory Controlfalse belief taskmemory interference |
| spellingShingle | Norbert eZmyj Wolfgang ePrinz Moritz M. Daum Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief Task Frontiers in Psychology Infancy distraction Inhibitory Control false belief task memory interference |
| title | Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief Task |
| title_full | Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief Task |
| title_fullStr | Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief Task |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief Task |
| title_short | Eighteen-Month-Olds’ Memory Interference and Distraction in a Modified A-not-B Task is Not Associated With Their Anticipatory Looking in a False-Belief Task |
| title_sort | eighteen month olds memory interference and distraction in a modified a not b task is not associated with their anticipatory looking in a false belief task |
| topic | Infancy distraction Inhibitory Control false belief task memory interference |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00857/full |
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