NACS Seminar: Dr. Amy Finn

How changes in perception and attention shape children’s unique (and sometimes better) learning

Cognitive development is marked by age-related improvements across several domains, as young children perform worse than their older counterparts on most tasks. However, there are cases in which children outperform older children and adults. Why? In this talk, I will suggest that these instances of child prowess can be explained by what have historically been framed as deficits—the ongoing changes in their perception and attention. I will present these data in the context of my broader framework for thinking about how and why learning changes across childhood. In the process, I hope to suggest answers for long-lasting questions in psychology—including why children can learn language when most adults struggle to do the same, and how children manage the onslaught of information in our “blooming and buzzing” worlds.

Dr. Amy Finn is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto.

NACS Seminars are free and open to the public.