Element of surprise helps infants learn

New York: When something surprises a baby, like an object not behaving the way he or she expects it to, the baby not only focuses on that object but ultimately learns more about it than from a similar yet predictable object, finds a study. Researchers have found that infants have innate knowledge about the world and when their expectations are defied, they learn best. For young learners, the world is an incredibly complex place filled with dynamic stimuli. How do learners know what to focus on and learn more about, and what to ignore? Researchers suggest that infants use what they already know about the world to form predictions.