Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

What type of categorization are young infants capable of, according to Mandler and McDonough?

1. Conceptual

2. Representational

3. Perceptual

4. Associative

The correct answer is: Perceptual

Young infants are primarily capable of perceptual categorization. This form of categorization involves organizing objects and experiences based on sensory attributes such as shape, color, size, or texture. At early stages of cognitive development, infants rely heavily on perceptual features to group items together and distinguish between different stimuli in their environment. Mandler and McDonough's research indicates that this perceptual ability allows infants to recognize familiar objects and differentiate them from others, laying the groundwork for further cognitive advancements later in development. As they grow and gain more experiences, infants may later develop conceptual or representational categories, which involve more abstract thought processes and the understanding of relationships between categories. Associative categorization typically emerges following early perceptual development, as infants learn to form links between different stimuli over time.