Babies learn the name of new objects by 'mapping ' their surroundings . They can also recognize familiar names, like " baby - sitter " or " grandma's friend " ( which is why they are called grandparents ) and even some unfamiliar ones.
Babies learn the name of new objects by 'mapping ' their surroundings . This means they associate a word using the object 's proximity to them . Study said this applies to their physical location as well as their posture . Researchers used a humanoid called iCub and infants to test this theory .