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Infants Possess a Physics Engine
January 27, 2012
One feature that separates
humans from
animals is
instinct. An instinct is an unlearned, automatic, unmodifiable, irresistible
behavior of every member of a
species, occurring at a specific point in an organism's
development, that's triggered by a specific
stimulus.
People may have urges, but the human species demonstrates nothing corresponding to instinct. Our intellect
rules the roost, but a consequence of this is that everything we do must be learned.
How much can an
infant learn about its
environment in just a few months? Quite a lot of
physics, as demonstrated in a review article recently published in
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science by two
psychologists,
Kristy vanMarle of the
University of Missouri and
Susan J. Hespos of
Northwestern University.[1-2]
Adults have a great knowledge of their physical environment, an innate physics engine. We understand simple concepts, such as "what goes up must come down," and the complex projectile mechanics of catching a tossed ball.
Infants are apparently able to understand from a very early age the physical concepts of solidity, continuity, cohesion, and change. This understanding is apparent in infants as young as two months, which is the earliest age at which meaningful psychological testing is possible. At first, these concepts are primitive, but they are developed through learning and experience.[2]
It's conjectured that this intuitive knowledge of physics is present at
birth. In normal development at two months, infants realize that unsupported objects will
fall (
Wile E. Coyote notwithstanding), and that objects that are hidden do not cease to exist. At five months, the physics palette is increased to include the idea that
sand,
water and other non-cohesive substances are not
solid. At ten months,
quantitative reasoning kicks in, and children will prefer a larger portion of
food.[1]
Review author, Kristy vanMarle, offers the following advice to
parents who wish to nurture their young physicist.
"Natural interaction with the child, such as talking to him/her, playing peek-a-boo, and allowing him/her to handle safe objects, is the best method for child development. Natural interaction with the parent and objects in the world gives the child all the input that evolution has prepared the child to seek, accept and use to develop intuitive physics."[1]
These results seem to overlap with the instinct concept, possibly adding to the debate about human instinct. Infants appear to be born with an expectation of how the physical world operates. This knowledge is, at first, primitive, but it's refined by experience so the point at which people will try to catch a falling
cup, but never think about trying to catch the spilling
milk it contained.[1]
In related research, the
British Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has developed physics training
software for
elementary school students.[3-4] The software was written in response to a study of children, aged 6-11, that identified the following problem areas: [3]
• Children have just a limited knowledge of horizontal motion and fall, and their knowledge does not seem to improve throughout the course of their elementary education, despite efforts to teach these topics.
• The concept of acceleration during fall is not learned.
• The traditional teaching methods for object motion are not working.
The software, developed to address these shortfalls, was tested on about 150 children, aged 8-12, who used the software under adult supervision, or with classmates. This software, which is unfortunately available for
Windows, only, can be downloaded at no charge from
www.educ.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/objectmotion.
Now that
tablet computers are making inroads into schools, an
Android tablet version would be nice.
Computer-aided instruction (CAI) has been with us for a long time.
The PLATO Computer System (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations) was developed in the 1960s.
This PLATO V terminal, with an orange plasma display, is dated 1981.
(Via Wikimedia Commons).
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References:
- Steven Adams, "Babies Are Born With “Intuitive Physics” Knowledge, Says MU Researcher," University of Missouri Press Release, January 24, 2012.
- Susan J. Hespos and Kristy vanMarle, "Physics for infants: characterizing the origins of knowledge about objects, substances, and number," WIREs Cognitive Science, vol. 3, no. 1 (February 20120, pp. 19-27.
- Danielle Moore and Jeanine Woolley, "Supporting primary children's understanding of physics," Economic and Social Research Council Press Release, January 24, 2011.
- Object Fall, Economic and Social Research Council Web Site.
Permanent Link to this article
Linked Keywords: Human; animal; instinct; behavior; species; development; stimulus; rule the roost; infant; environment; physics; Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science; psychologist; Kristy vanMarle; University of Missouri; Susan J. Hespos; Northwestern University; adult; physics engine; what goes up must come down; ballistics; projectile mechanics; solid; solidity; continuity; cohesion; change; intuition; intuitive knowledge; birth; falling body; Wile E. Coyote; sand; water; solid; quantification; quantitative reasoning; food; parent; glassware; cup; milk; United Kingdom; Economic and Social Research Council; software; elementary school; student; horizontal motion; gravitational acceleration; Microsoft Windows; tablet computer; Android tablet; PLATO Computer System; plasma display; Wikimedia Commons.