Infants Can Identify Hidden Objects from Words Alone by 15 Months, Study Finds

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have found that infants as young as 15 months can recognize new objects through language alone—even when those objects are not visible.

The study, conducted by scientists from Northwestern and Harvard Universities in the United States, suggests that the ability to associate words with unseen objects develops much earlier than previously believed.

“Many people believe that success in word learning requires that the infant ‘map’ a new word to an object that is physically present—for example, ‘Look at the kumquat!’,” said senior author Sandra Waxman, a developmental scientist and professor of psychology at Northwestern University. “Our findings challenge that assumption.”

The researchers demonstrated that 15-month-old infants could form mental representations of unfamiliar objects simply by hearing adults talk about them. This finding implies that even at this early age, children are capable of grasping abstract connections between language and the world around them.

While adults have long been known to learn the names of objects without seeing them firsthand, this is one of the first studies to provide evidence that infants may share this sophisticated learning ability.

The study offers new insights into early cognitive and language development and could reshape how parents and educators approach early learning.