About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 4. Cognitive Processes

Abstract

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Infants frequently encounter challenges in their everyday lives that require persistence, such as retrieving objects, navigating barriers, and uncovering hidden objects. However, encountering repeated failure can be frustrating and can diminish motivation to persist. One potential way to overcome this frustration is through exploration, as success may be possible with novel strategies, even if previous attempts have failed. To investigate whether exploration enhances persistence, we conducted both a correlational and an experimental study examining infants’ problem-solving and persistence behaviors.

In Study 1, we analyzed archival data from 96 infants (M = 18.5 months) performing a means-end task which, unbeknownst to infants, was impossible to solve. Infants’ actions in the beginning of test trials were classified as either imitative, exploratory, or off-task. When controlling for differences in infants’ activity level, analyses revealed the proportion of time infants spent exploring in the beginning of trials, β = 0.53, t(282) = 2.56, p = 0.01, as well as the number of unique exploratory strategies, β = 0.92, t(210) = 2.79, p = .005, each predicted overall persistence on the task. Importantly, increased exploration also predicted increased persistence on a novel task, r(68) = -0.33, p = .005. As such, Experiment 1 provided evidence that infants’ exploration to seek new solutions related to sustained efforts in the face of repeated failures.

Building on this correlational evidence, Study 2 experimentally tested the causal role of exploration in promoting persistence. Infants aged 18-24 months (n = 35 out of 60, M = 21.12 months) were assigned to either the Explore or No Explore condition through a priming task designed to shape their problem-solving approach. In the Explore condition, infants were encouraged to persist by trying different strategies after failure, whereas in the No Explore condition, infants were encouraged to persist by repeating the same strategy after failure. Following the priming task, infants in both conditions completed a separate task to measure persistence.

Infants in the Explore condition persisted more than those in the No Explore condition on the separate task, β = 20.75, t(34) = 5.90, p < .001, and this effect was mediated by their increased use of unique, problem-solving strategies, ab= 10.70, SE = 2.87, 95% CI [5.60, 17.24]. Even after accounting for the indirect effect of strategy use, however, the direct effect of condition remained significant, c’= 10.36, SE= 3.50, 95% CI [3.42, 17.29]. Thus, infants in the Explore condition persisted longer not only because they tried more strategies, but also because the act of exploring itself provided additional motivation that kept them engaged in the task.

By examining both correlational and experimental evidence, we demonstrated that exploration significantly enhances infants’ persistence when faced with difficult tasks. These results highlight the causal role of exploration in shaping infants’ persistence, supporting the idea that engaging in varied problem-solving strategies fosters sustained effort, as it reinforces belief that success is possible.

Author information

Author	Role
Wujiamei Sun, University of Toronto	Presenting author
Mia Radovanovic, University of Toronto	Non-presenting author
Jessica Sommerville, University of Toronto	Non-presenting author

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