Reading reflection on "What every baby knows"

1. The meaning of "inferential learning mechanisms"

                           Inferential learning mechanisms are the "theories" that new born babies have about the world from the beginning. They are able to edit and revise these theories as they gain more knowledge.

2. The changes that occur over the first three years of life (instinctual ability to "distinguish human faces and voices", "understanding that people's actions, emotions and perceptions can be directed at a separate external world", and "understanding that people have different beliefs")

                         Instinctively from birth babies are able to distinguish human faces and voices and within a few days they are able to recognize familiar faces, voices and smells. At about 9 months they can tell the difference between happiness and sadness and anger, and which tone of voice goes with which expression. At around 1 babies begin to understand that other people's actions, emotions and perceptions can be directed at an external world. They can understand pointing and react based on the actions of the people around them. The knowledge of different people having different beliefs doesn't come until about 3 years old. 

3. The assumptions and implications of the article quote, "Babies are like little scientists continually overthrowing theories that no longer fit the evidence.”

                         This quote assumes that from birth babies are capable of pretty high level thinking. It implies that they are able to consciously decide what the "evidence" that they collect means and how it affects their theories. It also implies that babies are able to think without the language that we know and use, that these theories must be in their minds but not expressed in words.