Doreen Ferland
Papers
1
Total Citations
153
H-Index
1
About
Doreen Ferland’s research has fundamentally shaped our understanding of how infants perceive the world, particularly through the lens of animacy. Her seminal work, "Infants' concept of animacy" (1996), which has garnered over 150 citations, stands as a cornerstone in developmental psychology. In this study, Ferland demonstrated that even preverbal infants possess an intuitive ability to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, using cues like self-propelled motion and contingent interaction. This finding challenged earlier assumptions that such concepts are solely learned through experience, instead suggesting an innate cognitive framework. Her contributions have profound implications for theories of social cognition and early learning, influencing subsequent research on agency, intentionality, and the origins of social understanding. Ferland’s work remains a key reference for scholars exploring how the human mind begins to parse the social and physical world from the earliest stages of life.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Infants' concept of animacy153 citations · 1996