The Future of Infant Categorization Research: A Process-Oriented Approach

We call for a shift from a content-oriented approach to a process-oriented approach to the study of categorization in infancy. Although gains have been made in our understanding of infant categorization by evaluating the categories to which infants respond, further understanding of infant categorization, and how categorization changes with development, requires that we more directly assess infants' category formation. We argue that two directions for future research will continue to enhance our understanding of categorization in infancy (and beyond). First, contextual variations (e.g., the effects of task, stimuli, and other factors) on infants' categorization must be better understood. Second, we must more directly evaluate the kinds of information infants use when forming categories, as well as how their use of such information changes with age, task, and so forth. We argue that these two foci will provide clearer understanding of the origins and early development of categorization.