The Newborn Infant and Perceptual Development Flashcards
habituation
when an infant loses interest in something after hearing, seeing or hearing it multiple times, then regains interest when something new is presented we take that to mean he/ she can tell the difference. Measured by looking time, sucking speed, etc.
When the baby does dishabituate, she can’t tell the difference
Preferential Looking Paradigm
can either show that baby prefers to look at something familiar or something novel
when infant looks at one stimuli over another, we interpret that to mean the infant can tell the difference between two stimuli and prefers the one he/she looked at longer
sensory structures
formed and actively used during the prenatal period of development
perceptual sense that develops most after birth
vision
Critical (or sensitive) periods
times most important for the development of particular skills
experience expectant
they’re not going to get to experience it if they don’t get the opportunity (ex: if they have a cataract on one eye)
vision is experience-expectant
Nonverbal responses
method used for studying infant perception
preferences of changes in sucking (fast= excited), looking, and reaching
changes in heart rate, respiration, and brain activity (psychological responses)
development of hearing
develops prenatally because there is stuff to hear inside the womb
development of vision
really bad when they’re born because they don’t have anything to look at.
intermodal perception
ability to combine information from two or more sources. (oral & tactile, tactile & visual, auditory & visual)
Sensation vs Perception
Sensation- process of translating the environment into electrical signals for the brain. Involves sensory organs
Perception- Process of organizing and interpreting the electrical the electrical signals in a meaningful way. Involves cognition
William James
babies have an opportunity to explore the world
