Gibson and Walk Flashcards
What is the theory?
- depth cues and motion parallax
what is motion parallax?
objects closer to you moving faster = more important for animals
what is the aim?
to determine the age that infants start to show the ability to use visual stimuli for depth perception
AND
to see if this ability within animals and humans is innate
what is the method?
lab experiment with repeated measures
what is the iv?
called by mother on deep side and shallow side of visual cliff
what is the dv?
if the baby crawled to mother or not
what is the sample?
36 infants (6-14 months) - mothers also participated
what are examples of animals used?
rats, chicks, kids, lambs, aquatic turtles, kittens
what is the apparatus used?
a visual cliff
- board in the middle
- shallow end = glass with patterned surface directly underneath
- deep end = glass with patterned surface on the floor
- patterned glass = red and white squares
what are some controls?
- sometimes used a solid grey pattern
- removed reflection for animals
what are some key findings about infants?
- only 27 infants moved from the board & all went to shallow side at least once
- 3/27 went to the deep end = suggests have no depth perception
- some babies cried as they could not get to their mothers due to the chasm of the deep end
- often touched the glass of the deep end but trusted visual perception that it was dangerous
what are some key findings about animals?
- aquatic turtles performed the worst - utilise motion parallax more - due to being water based
- by 24 hrs old chicks have depth perception
- rats used their whiskers to determine if a surface is solid and trusted this rather than depth perception (but still have depth perception when whiskers held back = control)
evaluate according to reliability
strengths
- lab experiments = standardised = replicable = internal reliability e.g., same visual cliff
weaknesses
- some toys don’t help everyone’s perception = unreliable
evaluate according to validity
strengths
- construct validity - high controls = causality
- ecologically valid - mothers being one to call over
weaknesses
- lack population validity - small sample (36 infants, 6-14 months, USA)
- no ecologically valid - artificial and task lacks mundane realism
- individual differences
evaluate according to data
strengths
- quan data = objective + easy to analyse and compare e.g., 3/27 crawling to deep side
- qual data = provides reasoning behind perceptual behaviour e.g., babies crying / touching the glass
weaknesses
- quan data = no reasoning
- qual data = subjective interpretation - individual differences
evaluate according to samples and ethnocentrism
strengths
- 6-14 months - can see development of depth perception
weaknesses
- small sample
- only western perspective = ethnocentric
- age bias 0-6? 14-24?
evaluate according to methodology - snapshots & longitudinal
strengths:
- snapshots = easy to complete
- less demand characteristics
- less EVs influence
- less attrition
weaknesses:
- not enough detail / development of an individual over time
evaluate according to ethics
strengths
- informed consent from mothers
- were not deceived
- confidentiality - kept anonymous
weaknesses
- no informed consent from infants or animals
- PFH issues - babies crying BUT babies always cry
- no right to withdraw
evaluate according to social sensitivity
is socially sensitive
- blames parents and nursery teachers for any perceptual deficits / slower development
not socially sensitive
- leads to practical applications - improve development through intervention
evaluate according to usefulness
useful
- parents and teachers can use interventions for struggling children
- reliable
- valid
not useful
- unreliable
- invalid
evaluate according to psychology as a science
scientfic
- high control
- quan data
- reliable
- valid
not scientific
- qual data
- unreliable
- invalid
evaluate according to reductionism
weaknesses
- most studies focus on one type of perception e.g., visual
- over reliance on nurture / situational = oversimplification
strengths
- scientific - causality
- IVs
- useful
evaluate according to determinism
strengths
- make predictions = scientific
- practical applications
weaknesses
- age / exposure to environment
- socially sensitive = labelling
evaluate according to nature vs nurture
nature
- rats = depth perception is innate
nurture
- chicks develops in 24 hrs
- learn depth perception when crawl then again when walking
evaluate according to situational vs dispositional
situational
- develops with locomotion / environment = learnt
dispositional
- could be individual differences / delay in development = not just situation
