Infant Intentionality and the Attribution of Intentions to Infants

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Abstract
The issue is discussed whether or not parental attribution of intentions to infants is a pretense. This issue cannot be investigated if it is meant to be a question whether or not the infant has the specific intentions attributed to it. Problems connected with the usual description of intentionality in terms of goal-directedness are discussed. It is proposed that instead the intentionality of behavior be described in terms of object-directedness, a concept central to the philosophical concept of intentionality. The object-directedness of an infant’s behavior is hypothesized to elicit the parent’s perception of infant intentionality. Parental attribution of infant intentions is proposed to be considered a pretense only in the absence of object-directedness in the behavior of the infant.

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