Perceptual Sensitivity and Motoric Competence in 5- and 6-Month-Old Infants |
| |
Authors: | Melanie Deckert-Pelton Sherri Zimmerman |
| |
Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology;2. Department of Applied Research and Diversity Studies , The University of West Florida |
| |
Abstract: | The authors explored whether 5- to 6-month-old infants were sensitive to perceptual information and how they used perception as a recognition cue to search for a hidden object. In addition, the authors categorized and examined infant grasp by developmental effectiveness to determine any impact on infant search behaviors. In a within-participants design, 20 infants were presented with a toy in 2 occluder conditions. The toy was hidden under either a thick, camouflaging cloth or a thin, semitransparent cloth. The data revealed significant effects of perceptual sensitivity, age, and motor sophistication on search tasks. The results suggest that motor competence might be a limiting factor in infants' abilities to link motoric responses to notions about an object. |
| |
Keywords: | infant search object permanence occluder perception |
|
|