Children's tool innovation across culture
- Neldner, Karri, Redshaw, Jonathan, Murphy, Sean, Tomaselli, Keyan, Jacqueline, Davis,, Dixson, Barnaby, Nielsen, Mark
- Authors: Neldner, Karri , Redshaw, Jonathan , Murphy, Sean , Tomaselli, Keyan , Jacqueline, Davis, , Dixson, Barnaby , Nielsen, Mark
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Tool innovation , Cross-cultural , Innovation
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/407171 , uj:34262 , Citation: Neldner, K. et al. 2019: Children's tool innovation across culture.
- Description: Abstract: Prior research suggests that human children lack an aptitude for tool innovation. However, children’s tool making must be explored across a broader range of tasks and across diverse cultural contexts before we can conclude that they are genuinely poor tool innovators. To this end, we investigated children’s ability to independently construct three new tools using distinct actions: adding, subtracting and reshaping. We tested 422 children across a broad age range from five geographic locations across South Africa (N = 126), Vanuatu (N = 190) and Australia (N = 106), which varied in their levels of exposure to Westernized culture. Children were shown a horizontal, transparent tube that had a sticker in its middle. Children were sequentially given each incomplete tool, which when accurately constructed could be used to push the sticker out of the tube. As predicted, older children were better at performing the innovation tasks than younger children across all cultures and innovation actions. We also found evidence for cultural variation: while all non‐Western groups performed similarly, the Western group of children innovated at higher rates. However, children who did not innovate often adopted alternate methods when using the tools that also led to success. This suggests that children’s innovation levels are influenced by the cultural environment, and highlights the flexibility inherent in human children’s tool use.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Neldner, Karri , Redshaw, Jonathan , Murphy, Sean , Tomaselli, Keyan , Jacqueline, Davis, , Dixson, Barnaby , Nielsen, Mark
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Tool innovation , Cross-cultural , Innovation
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/407171 , uj:34262 , Citation: Neldner, K. et al. 2019: Children's tool innovation across culture.
- Description: Abstract: Prior research suggests that human children lack an aptitude for tool innovation. However, children’s tool making must be explored across a broader range of tasks and across diverse cultural contexts before we can conclude that they are genuinely poor tool innovators. To this end, we investigated children’s ability to independently construct three new tools using distinct actions: adding, subtracting and reshaping. We tested 422 children across a broad age range from five geographic locations across South Africa (N = 126), Vanuatu (N = 190) and Australia (N = 106), which varied in their levels of exposure to Westernized culture. Children were shown a horizontal, transparent tube that had a sticker in its middle. Children were sequentially given each incomplete tool, which when accurately constructed could be used to push the sticker out of the tube. As predicted, older children were better at performing the innovation tasks than younger children across all cultures and innovation actions. We also found evidence for cultural variation: while all non‐Western groups performed similarly, the Western group of children innovated at higher rates. However, children who did not innovate often adopted alternate methods when using the tools that also led to success. This suggests that children’s innovation levels are influenced by the cultural environment, and highlights the flexibility inherent in human children’s tool use.
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Comprehensive longitudinal study challenges the existence of neonatal imitation in humans
- Oostenbroek, Janine, Suddendorf, Thomas, Nielsen, Mark, Redshaw, Jonathan, Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan, Davis, Jacqueline, Clark, Sally, Slaughter, Virginia
- Authors: Oostenbroek, Janine , Suddendorf, Thomas , Nielsen, Mark , Redshaw, Jonathan , Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan , Davis, Jacqueline , Clark, Sally , Slaughter, Virginia
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/122812 , uj:20708 , Citation: Oostenbroek, J. et al. 2016. Comprehensive longitudinal study challenges the existence of neonatal imitation in humans.
- Description: Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract
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- Authors: Oostenbroek, Janine , Suddendorf, Thomas , Nielsen, Mark , Redshaw, Jonathan , Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan , Davis, Jacqueline , Clark, Sally , Slaughter, Virginia
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/122812 , uj:20708 , Citation: Oostenbroek, J. et al. 2016. Comprehensive longitudinal study challenges the existence of neonatal imitation in humans.
- Description: Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract
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Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities
- Redshaw, Jonathan, Suddendorf, Thomas, Neldner, Karri, Wilks, Matti, Tomaselli, Keyan, Mushin, Ilana, Nielsen, Mark
- Authors: Redshaw, Jonathan , Suddendorf, Thomas , Neldner, Karri , Wilks, Matti , Tomaselli, Keyan , Mushin, Ilana , Nielsen, Mark
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/276505 , uj:29591 , Citation: Redshaw, J. et al. 2018. Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities.
- Description: Abstract: This study examined future-oriented behaviour in children (3-6 years; N = 193) from three diverse societies – one industrialised Western city (Brisbane, Australia) and two small, geographically isolated communities (Indigenous Australians and South African Bushmen). Children had the opportunity to prepare for two alternative versions of an immediate future event. Some 3-year-olds from all cultures performed well, and a majority of the oldest children from each culture prepared for both possibilities on all six trials. Although there were some cultural differences in the youngest age groups that approached ceiling performance, the overall results indicate that children across these communities become able to prepare for alternative futures during early childhood. This acquisition period is therefore not contingent on Western upbringing and may instead indicate normal cognitive maturation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Redshaw, Jonathan , Suddendorf, Thomas , Neldner, Karri , Wilks, Matti , Tomaselli, Keyan , Mushin, Ilana , Nielsen, Mark
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/276505 , uj:29591 , Citation: Redshaw, J. et al. 2018. Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities.
- Description: Abstract: This study examined future-oriented behaviour in children (3-6 years; N = 193) from three diverse societies – one industrialised Western city (Brisbane, Australia) and two small, geographically isolated communities (Indigenous Australians and South African Bushmen). Children had the opportunity to prepare for two alternative versions of an immediate future event. Some 3-year-olds from all cultures performed well, and a majority of the oldest children from each culture prepared for both possibilities on all six trials. Although there were some cultural differences in the youngest age groups that approached ceiling performance, the overall results indicate that children across these communities become able to prepare for alternative futures during early childhood. This acquisition period is therefore not contingent on Western upbringing and may instead indicate normal cognitive maturation.
- Full Text:
Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities
- Redshaw, Jonathan, Suddendorf, Thomas, Neldner, Karri, Wilks, Matti, Tomaselli, Keyan, Mushin, Ilana, Nielsen, Mark
- Authors: Redshaw, Jonathan , Suddendorf, Thomas , Neldner, Karri , Wilks, Matti , Tomaselli, Keyan , Mushin, Ilana , Nielsen, Mark
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/407163 , uj:34261 , Citation: Redshaw, J. et al. 2019: Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities.
- Description: Abstract: This study examined future-oriented behaviour in children (3-6 years; N = 193) from three diverse societies – one industrialised Western city (Brisbane, Australia) and two small, geographically isolated communities (Indigenous Australians and South African Bushmen). Children had the opportunity to prepare for two alternative versions of an immediate future event. Some 3-year-olds from all cultures performed well, and a majority of the oldest children from each culture prepared for both possibilities on all six trials. Although there were some cultural differences in the youngest age groups that approached ceiling performance, the overall results indicate that children across these communities become able to prepare for alternative futures during early childhood. This acquisition period is therefore not contingent on Western upbringing and may instead indicate normal cognitive maturation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Redshaw, Jonathan , Suddendorf, Thomas , Neldner, Karri , Wilks, Matti , Tomaselli, Keyan , Mushin, Ilana , Nielsen, Mark
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/407163 , uj:34261 , Citation: Redshaw, J. et al. 2019: Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities.
- Description: Abstract: This study examined future-oriented behaviour in children (3-6 years; N = 193) from three diverse societies – one industrialised Western city (Brisbane, Australia) and two small, geographically isolated communities (Indigenous Australians and South African Bushmen). Children had the opportunity to prepare for two alternative versions of an immediate future event. Some 3-year-olds from all cultures performed well, and a majority of the oldest children from each culture prepared for both possibilities on all six trials. Although there were some cultural differences in the youngest age groups that approached ceiling performance, the overall results indicate that children across these communities become able to prepare for alternative futures during early childhood. This acquisition period is therefore not contingent on Western upbringing and may instead indicate normal cognitive maturation.
- Full Text:
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