Child Psychology - Topic 3: Perceptual development

Question 1

Background Research - Blakemore & Cooper

What is it?
What did they find?

Answer 1

• Raised kittens from birth to five months of age in an environment containing either only vertical or only horizontal stripes
• Suggest that early visual environment is crucial as there is a sensitive period to develop orientation detecting neurones in the primary visual cortex

Question 2

Key Research - Gibson and Walk (Aim, Method, Sample, Procedure, Results)

Answer 2

Aim:

• to find evidence to support the theory that humans and species have innate depth perception, the ability to see in 3D and to find out which visual clues influence depth perception, pattern density, the use of larger and smaller patterns to assess depth and motion parallax, the use of objects moving faster or slower.

Method:

• lab experiment with repeated measures for the human children and a quasi-experiment for the animals.
• IV for the babies was whether they were called to the shallow or deep side and
• DV was whether the child crawled to their mother or not.
• IV for the other animals was what species they were
• DV was whether they went to the shallow or deep side.

Sample:

• consisted of 36 babies aged 6-14 months.
• The other animals used were chicks, turtles, rats, lambs, pigs, kittens and dogs.

Procedure:

1. Child was placed on the centre board and the mother called them from the shallow side for 2 minutes and then swapped to the deep side.

Results:

• 27 infants crawled into the shallow side and only 3 children crawled onto the deep side.
• Most of the animals also crawled to the shallow side, even dark reared rats.

Question 3

Application - Sensory Integrative Therapies

4 strategies
1 explanation
1 evidence

Answer 3

• Touch-sticky textures such as glue play dough or other materials such as sand.
• Children with ASD often enjoy a sense of firm overall pressure though weighted blankets or hugs.
• Smell - using scented toys eg fragranced play dough
• Sound - ASD may respond to music but not voices so words can be sung instead of spoken

Evidence:

Children with developmental disorders such as ADHD and ASD struggle to receive, process and understand sensory info as they may be hyposensitive or hypersensitive

Ayres proposed our senses are neurologically organised and developed sensory integration