Publications [#351860] of Michael Tomasello

Journal Articles

1. Warneken, F; Tomasello, M, Helping and cooperation at 14 months of age, Infancy, vol. 11 no. 3 (January, 2007), pp. 271-294 [doi]
   (last updated on 2025/06/15)

   Abstract:
   Two experiments investigated the proclivity of 14-month-old infants (a) to altruistically help others toward individual goals, and (b) to cooperate toward a shared goal. The infants helped another person by handing over objects the other person was unsuccessfully roaching for, but did not help reliably in situations involving more complex goals. When a programmed adult partner interrupted a joint cooperative activity at specific moments, infants sometimes tried to reengage the adult, perhaps indicating that they understood the interdependency of actions toward a shared goal. However, as compared to 18- and 24-month-olds, their skills in behaviorally coordinating their actions with a social partner remained rudimentary. Results are integrated into a model of cooperative activities as they develop over the 2nd year of life. Copyright © 2007, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.