Chapter 7 - Sensation/Perception

Question 1

What are the empiricists view on nature/nurture?

Answer 1

tabula rasa - infants born as blank slate

nurtue

learn to interpret sensations

Question 2

What are the nativists views on nature/nurture?

Answer 2

basic perceptual abilities are innate

nature

Question 3

What is the enrichment theory?

Answer 3

need thought to enrich ambiguous stimuli
- apply our own information to stimuli to make sense of it

cognition enriches sensory experience

Question 4

What is differentiation theory?

Answer 4

sensory input provides enough information

children learn to detect distinctive features

Question 5

What is the relationship between enrichment and differentiation theory?

Answer 5

not opposites, complementary

just focusing on different aspects

Question 6

What is the preference method of infant data collection?

Answer 6

2 stimuli presented simultaneously

infant’s attention to each is measured

Question 7

What is the least mature sense in newborns?

Answer 7

vision

• acuity of 20/600
• but at adult level by 1 year

require sharper visual contrasts
- black and white is best

Question 8

What types of images do infants show early preference for?

Answer 8

complex patterns with high contrast (black and white)

Question 9

What is the high-amplitude sucking method of infant data collection?

Answer 9

present stimulus

can tell from frequency/intensity of sucking on specialized pacifier if they noticed change in their environment

Question 10

What is the evoked potentials method of infant data collection?

Answer 10

observe changes in brain activity for different stimuli

can determine ability to discriminate

Question 11

What is the habituation method of infant data collection?

Answer 11

stimulus presented repeatedly until infants response habituates

discrimination ability is tested by presenting second stimulus and observing response

Question 12

Describe Carolyn Rovee-Collier’s research on memory (foot and mobile).

Answer 12

habituated foot movement to move mobile

put child back in the crib days later

2 month olds have 2-3 day memory span

3 month olds have full week memory span

Question 13

Describe infant’s hearing ability.

Answer 13

newborns can discriminate mother’s voice

early phoneme discrimination
- hear, understand, and produce what they were exposed to in first year

quickly learn to recognize words

Question 14

Describe a newborns sense of taste and smell.

Answer 14

have taste preferences

react to noxious odours
can recognize scent of mother

Question 15

Are infant’s sensitive to touch/pain/temperature?

Answer 15

yes

sensitive to food and room temperature

therapeutic massage beneficial for premature infants

Question 16

Describe the 3 components of visual perception.

Answer 16

stereopsis by 3 months old
- eyes work together for depth perception

size constancy present early

• visual looming
• things gradually get bigger as they are closer, but we know they are not bigger

pictorial cues to depth by 3 months of age
- binocular and monocular

Question 17

What is Gibson and Walk’s visual cliff?

Answer 17

sheet of glass looks like cliff

see how babies react

if they continue to crawl all over, can tell they do not have depth perception

if they do, they will hesitate

importance of locomotor experience