LABORATORY VERSUS HOME - EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT ON THE 9-MONTH-OLD INFANTS CHOICE OF SPATIAL REFERENCE SYSTEM

55 9-mo-olds watched while an object was hidden under a cloth to their left or a cloth to their right. They were then moved to the opposite side of the table and allowed to search. Since no trials training a reach in one direction were included, the child's choice of the incorrect cloth from the new position was interpreted as reliance on a spatial reference system based on the child's body, rather than on repetition of a learned motor habit. Striking environmental effects were found. Infants tested in a landmark-free laboratory and an unfamiliar landmark-filled office behaved egocentrically; those tested in their homes did not. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.