MONDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Babies may learn better when they're sitting up, a new study suggests.

"An important part of human cognitive development is the ability to understand whether an object in view is the same or different from an object seen earlier," Rebecca Woods, an assistant professor of human development and family [2] science and doctoral psychology lecturer at North Dakota State University, said in a university news release.

"Cognitive development" refers to abilities like thinking, perception and memory.

She and colleague Teresa Wilcox, a psychology professor at Texas A&M University, found that infants at ages 5.5 or 6.5 months don't use patterns to differentiate objects on their own. But 6.5-month-olds can be primed to use patterns if they get a chance to look at and touch objects.

http://www.ivillage.com/having-babies-sit-may-help-them-learn/6-a-509396 [3]

Interesting- and it makes a lot of sense!  Is your little one sitting unsupported yet?  If not, how do you help him/her sit up to explore the world?