Visual scanning during information processing in infancy.
Item
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Title
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Visual scanning during information processing in infancy.
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Identifier
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AAI9605613
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identifier
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9605613
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Creator
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Krinsky-McHale, Sharon J.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Louise Hainline
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Date
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1995
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Developmental | Psychology, Experimental
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Abstract
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This study examined the relationship between visual scanning and information processing in 32 two- and three-month-old infants. Eye movements were recorded using a computer-based infrared corneal reflection monitoring system while subjects participated in an infant-controlled habituation task. This method provided detailed information regarding both the duration and spatial distribution of fixations as an infant become familiarized with a stimulus and upon the presentation of novel stimuli. The results of the study demonstrated that visual scanning is related to information processing in 2- and 3-month olds; the eye-mind relationship is applicable in infants. However, we did not find a developmental trend in the limited age range tested. Infants scanned longer and made more fixations on the stimulus and more thoroughly and extensively scanned the stimulus during the baseline trials compared to the criterion trials. Individual differences between infants who were categorized as "short" and "long" lookers, based on their average fixation duration, engaged in both qualitatively and quantitatively different patterns of scanning during the baseline trials.;Differences between short and long lookers were also evident during the trial of the peak look and there were no differences between them during either the trial preceding or succeeding the peak trial. We consistently found that long lookers spent more time and made more fixations to a limited number of stimulus zones than short lookers. It appears that rather than progressively or incrementally processing the stimulus, infants encode simple stimuli, in basically one presentation (i.e., the peak trial). Furthermore, consistent with extant studies, we did not find evidence to support the serial processing hypothesis.;Upon the presentation of novel stimuli, we found differences in scanning behaviors between infants who did and did not demonstrate a preference for novelty. However, contrary to other studies we did not find differences between short and long lookers in terms of their qualitative or quantitative parameters of scanning novel stimuli.;Taken together, the results clearly reveal that analyzing eye movements is a more molecular and precise method of analysis and therefore the variables that are derived from such an analysis are useful adjuncts to the traditional global measures of attention.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
