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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Este estudo pretende contribuir para a compreensão do desenvolvimento da
actividade de categorização e, mais precisamente, compreender se o desempenho de
bebés de 6 meses de idade, na tarefa de exploração dos objectos, é influenciado por
representações categoriais pré-existentes, pelo conhecimento dos bebés sobre as
categorias de estímulos apresentadas na situação experimental, ou se o seu desempenho
depende da familiarização com determinada categoria em contexto experimental, sendo
a discriminação de categorias baseada apenas nos atributos perceptivos dos estímulos.
Para testar estas hipóteses, submetemos dois grupos de 15 bebés (30 bebés no
total) de 6 meses de idade, a quatro fases experimentais da tarefa de exploração de
objectos, distribuídas por duas sessões diferidas de uma semana (pré-teste,
familiarização e teste na 1º sessão e pós-teste na 2" sessão). Nas fases de pré-teste, teste
e pós-teste, eram apresentados 4 objectos (animal terrestre branco e preto, animal
terrestre castanho, animal marinho e camião branco e preto) com o objectivo de medir o
tempo que o bebé despendia a explorar cada um dos objectos. Na fase de familiarização,
os dois grupos de bebés eram confrontados à exploração de objectos conceptualmente
idênticos que variavam na cor, ou seja, o Grupo 1 era familiarizado com animais
terrestres brancos e pretos e o Grupo 2 com animais terrestres de várias cores.
Os resultados evidenciam, nos dois grupos experimentais, um padrão de
distribuição do tempo de exploração dos objectos idêntico no pré-teste, teste e pós-teste,
ou seja, os bebés mostram preferência pelo camião (4° objecto apresentado), seguido do
1º objecto apresentado (zebra ou cavalo castanho), sendo o 2° (cavalo castanho ou
zebra) e o 3º objectos apresentados (foca/golfinho) aqueles que são explorados durante
menos tempo. Pode portanto concluir-se que o processo de familiarização não produziu alterações significativas no desempenho dos dois grupos de bebés e que a forma como
reagem aos objectos em diferentes momentos do tempo (pré-teste, teste e pós-teste)
permanece globalmente estável.
Argumentamos que estes resultados podem ser interpretados à luz de dois
referenciais teóricos, o que mostra a fragilidade da metodologia utilizada. De acordo
com uma linha de pensamento recente (e.g. Mandler, 2004), pode inferir-se que: (a) a
actividade de categorização está presente em bebés de 6 meses de idade; (b) a
discriminação de categorias, em contexto experimental, apela para o conhecimento
prévio dos bebés sobre as categorias apresentadas e não para a formação de categorias
"on line"; e (c) os bebés de 6 meses de idade parecem agrupar os objectos de forma
mais global (animais versus veículos) em detrimento de distinções mais especificas ou
básicas (animais terrestres versus animais marinhos). De acordo com a teoria
Piagetiana, pode concluir-se que a distinção entre o grupo dos animais e o camião
permanece ainda uma classificação prática e elementar realizada no decurso da
actividade sensório-motora do bebé.
This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the early development of categorization. More precisely, the purpose is to understand if the performance of 6- month-old infants in the object-examination task is influenced by pre-existing representations, by the infants' knowledge of the categories presented in the experimental setting, or if their performance depend on the experimental familiarization with a certain category and the categories discrimination is just based on the perceptual attributes of the stimuli. To test these hypothesis we submitted two groups of 15 infants (total of 30) of 6- month-old, to four experimental phases of the object-examining task distributed in two sessions with a gap of one weak (pre-test, familiarization and test in the first session and follow-up in the second session). In the pre-test, test and follow-up phases we presented four objects (black-and-white land animal, brown land animal, sea animal and a black-and- white truck) and measured the time the infant took to explore each one of the objects. In the familiarization phase, one group (Group 1) was familiarized with a set of land animals that were all black and white in coloring and the other group (Group 2) was familiarized with a set of land animals that were more variable in coloring. In both experimental groups, we observed the same pattern of exploration time in the pre-test, test and follow-up. Infants showed a preference for the truck (fourth presented object) followed by the first object (zebra or brown horse). The second (brown horse or zebra) and the third (seal/dolphin) presented objects were the less explored ones. We can conclude that the familiarization process didn't produce significant changes in the performance of both infant groups and the way they react to the objects in different moments of time (pre-test, test and follow-up) is stable. We think that these results may be interpreted in the light of two theoretical references which point out the fragility of the methodology. According to a recent line of thinking (Mandler, 2004) we can infer that: (a) the categorization activity is present in 6-month-old infants; (b) the category discrimination in an experimental setting refer to infants previous knowledge of the categories and not to the formation of "on line" categories; and (c) 6-month-old infants seem to form global categories (animals versus vehicles) and not more specific or basic distinctions (land animals versus sea animals). According to Piaget's theory we can conclude that the distinction between the animal group and the truck still remains a practical and elementary classification linked with the sensorimotor activity of the infant.
This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the early development of categorization. More precisely, the purpose is to understand if the performance of 6- month-old infants in the object-examination task is influenced by pre-existing representations, by the infants' knowledge of the categories presented in the experimental setting, or if their performance depend on the experimental familiarization with a certain category and the categories discrimination is just based on the perceptual attributes of the stimuli. To test these hypothesis we submitted two groups of 15 infants (total of 30) of 6- month-old, to four experimental phases of the object-examining task distributed in two sessions with a gap of one weak (pre-test, familiarization and test in the first session and follow-up in the second session). In the pre-test, test and follow-up phases we presented four objects (black-and-white land animal, brown land animal, sea animal and a black-and- white truck) and measured the time the infant took to explore each one of the objects. In the familiarization phase, one group (Group 1) was familiarized with a set of land animals that were all black and white in coloring and the other group (Group 2) was familiarized with a set of land animals that were more variable in coloring. In both experimental groups, we observed the same pattern of exploration time in the pre-test, test and follow-up. Infants showed a preference for the truck (fourth presented object) followed by the first object (zebra or brown horse). The second (brown horse or zebra) and the third (seal/dolphin) presented objects were the less explored ones. We can conclude that the familiarization process didn't produce significant changes in the performance of both infant groups and the way they react to the objects in different moments of time (pre-test, test and follow-up) is stable. We think that these results may be interpreted in the light of two theoretical references which point out the fragility of the methodology. According to a recent line of thinking (Mandler, 2004) we can infer that: (a) the categorization activity is present in 6-month-old infants; (b) the category discrimination in an experimental setting refer to infants previous knowledge of the categories and not to the formation of "on line" categories; and (c) 6-month-old infants seem to form global categories (animals versus vehicles) and not more specific or basic distinctions (land animals versus sea animals). According to Piaget's theory we can conclude that the distinction between the animal group and the truck still remains a practical and elementary classification linked with the sensorimotor activity of the infant.
Description
Tese de mestrado em Psicologia (Área de especialização em Desenvolvimento Humano), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, 2007
Keywords
Teses de mestrado - 2007 Desenvolvimento humano Bébés Categorização Classificação Competências cognitivas