Young infants readily use proximity to organize visual pattern information

Paul C. Quinn; Ramesh S. Bhatt; Angela Hayden

doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2007.06.002

Young infants readily use proximity to organize visual pattern information

Paul C. Quinn, Ramesh S. Bhatt, Angela Hayden

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Four experiments relying on novelty and spontaneous preference procedures were performed to determine whether 3-4-month-old infants utilize the Gestalt principle of proximity to organize visual pattern information. In Experiment 1, infants familiarized with arrays of elements that could be organized into either columns or rows were tested for their preference between vertical and horizontal bars. The infants preferred the novel organization of bars. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that the novelty preference could not be attributed to an a priori preference or an inability to discriminate between the elements comprising the patterns. Experiment 4 replicated the results of Experiment 1 in a bars → elements version of the task, indicating that extended exposure is not necessary for infants to organize based on proximity. The results suggest that infants readily organize visual pattern information in accord with proximity. Implications of this finding for models of the ontogenesis and microgenesis of object perception in infants and adults are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	289-298
Number of pages	10
Journal	Acta Psychologica
Volume	127
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2007.06.002
State	Published - Feb 2008

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by NIH Grants HD-42451 and HD-46526. The authors thank Tom Banton, Johan Wagemans, and two anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier draft, and Laurie Yarzab for assistance in testing participants.

Funding

This research was supported by NIH Grants HD-42451 and HD-46526. The authors thank Tom Banton, Johan Wagemans, and two anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier draft, and Laurie Yarzab for assistance in testing participants.

Funders	Funder number
National Institutes of Health (NIH)	HD-42451
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development	R01HD046526

Keywords

Gestalt organizational principles
Infant perception
Perceptual grouping
Proximity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.actpsy.2007.06.002

Cite this

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title = "Young infants readily use proximity to organize visual pattern information",

abstract = "Four experiments relying on novelty and spontaneous preference procedures were performed to determine whether 3-4-month-old infants utilize the Gestalt principle of proximity to organize visual pattern information. In Experiment 1, infants familiarized with arrays of elements that could be organized into either columns or rows were tested for their preference between vertical and horizontal bars. The infants preferred the novel organization of bars. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that the novelty preference could not be attributed to an a priori preference or an inability to discriminate between the elements comprising the patterns. Experiment 4 replicated the results of Experiment 1 in a bars → elements version of the task, indicating that extended exposure is not necessary for infants to organize based on proximity. The results suggest that infants readily organize visual pattern information in accord with proximity. Implications of this finding for models of the ontogenesis and microgenesis of object perception in infants and adults are discussed.",

keywords = "Gestalt organizational principles, Infant perception, Perceptual grouping, Proximity",

author = "Quinn, {Paul C.} and Bhatt, {Ramesh S.} and Angela Hayden",

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AU - Bhatt, Ramesh S.

AU - Hayden, Angela

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PY - 2008/2

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N2 - Four experiments relying on novelty and spontaneous preference procedures were performed to determine whether 3-4-month-old infants utilize the Gestalt principle of proximity to organize visual pattern information. In Experiment 1, infants familiarized with arrays of elements that could be organized into either columns or rows were tested for their preference between vertical and horizontal bars. The infants preferred the novel organization of bars. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that the novelty preference could not be attributed to an a priori preference or an inability to discriminate between the elements comprising the patterns. Experiment 4 replicated the results of Experiment 1 in a bars → elements version of the task, indicating that extended exposure is not necessary for infants to organize based on proximity. The results suggest that infants readily organize visual pattern information in accord with proximity. Implications of this finding for models of the ontogenesis and microgenesis of object perception in infants and adults are discussed.

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Young infants readily use proximity to organize visual pattern information

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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