Methodological Problems in Operant Learning Research with Human Infants

A great number of the recent studies on infant operant learning use the mobile conjugate reinforcement paradigm with 2- and 3-month-old infants. This paradigm has proved to be adequate for the study of learning and the transfer of learning. However, difficulties linked to the high attrition rates of subjects, and the variability in performance are frequently observed in studies using other paradigms or in studies with older infants (4–5-month-olds). The problems noted in a group of studies seem to be related to important methodological issues such as the brevity of the learning sessions, the choice of dependent measures, and the management of variability in performance. The use of single-subject designs and the use of variables encountered in infants' daily learning experiences may be the solution to some of the problems.