– According to a new study conducted by Northwestern University scientists, babies can distinguish if two objects are different or alike. This is the first research demonstrating that infants have such an ability. “This suggests that a skill key to human intelligence is present very early in human development, and that language skills are not necessary for learning abstract relations,” said Alissa Ferry, a brain development researcher, co-author of the study.

– So, the Northwestern University research has shown that babies are able to build abstract relations before they know the corresponding words and that relational learning is a basic competency that does not need formal vocabulary to be effective. Indeed, babies can already understand that two Elmo dolls are not the same as an Elmo doll and a toy camel, for example.

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