Question 1

How are direct perception and constructivist theories related to nativist and empiricist philosophical perspectives regarding perceptual development?

Accepted Answer

Although direct perception theories are more closely related to empiricist perspectives and constructivist more related to nativist perspectives, both represent more nuanced understandings of the sources of perceptual development grounded in empirical as well as practical considerations of the functions of perceptual experience in development

Question 2

According to Bornstein, Arterberry, and Mash, what is the difference between developmental continuity and developmental stability as central metrics in the study of perception?

Accepted Answer

Continuity and stability represent two central constructs in developmental science, and describe related, but conceptually and statistically independent, dimensions of development. Developmental stability is present when individual differences among children are maintained over time; instability is present when individual differences among children change over time.
Developmental discontinuity in perception is present when typical (or average) age-group performance shows improvement or impairment over time.

Question 3

How do conclusions regarding infant perceptual development suggest a central role of adaptation?

Accepted Answer

Young infants start life with sensory and perceptual abilities that are refined as they grow older through further maturation, the development of complementary systems (such as motor skills), and experience. Infants' "stripped-down" perceptual abilities appear to be useful for their developmental stage and they adapt these abilities to take advantage of information in the environment

Question 4

Which of the following research methods should be considered the strongest in the inferences it permits about perceptual development?

Accepted Answer

Conditioned head rotation is a well-established method for studying auditory discrimination in infants, allowing researchers to make strong inferences about perceptual development by directly measuring behavioral responses to auditory stimuli.

Question 5

Which of the following lists represents the correct sequence (from earliest to latest) of the functional development of the five senses during prenatal development?

Accepted Answer

Research into prenatal development indicates that touch is the first sense to develop, with sensations first detected at around 8 weeks after conception. Taste and smell follow shortly thereafter, with the ability to detect different flavors and odors appearing at around 14-16 weeks. Hearing typically develops at around 18-20 weeks, and the sense of vision is the last to mature, with the eyes beginning to open and become sensitive to light at around 28 weeks. Therefore, the correct sequence of functional development of the five senses during prenatal development is touch, taste, smell, hearing, vision.

Question 6

At which of the following ages does synaptic "pruning" peak in humans?

Accepted Answer

Synaptic pruning peaks at around 1 year of age, when the brain eliminates weaker synaptic connections, and again during adolescence, around 11 years, to refine brain function based on experiences.

Question 7

Research on the development of taste perception in infants has shown that newborns:

Accepted Answer

Newborns exhibit differential reactions to different tastes, showing preferences and aversions, which indicates an innate ability to distinguish between different taste stimuli.

Question 8

Compared with bottle-fed infants, breast-fed newborns are more likely to orient preferentially and exclusively to the _____ of their own mother:

Accepted Answer

Breast-fed newborns are more likely to orient preferentially and exclusively to the smell of their own mother. This is because breastfeeding allows for a unique bonding experience and sensory integration, where the infant becomes familiar with the mother's scent, which is not as pronounced in bottle-feeding scenarios.

Question 9

Which of the following statements concerning color perception in human infants has been supported empirically (i.e., is true)?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that infants as young as 2-3 months of age possess the ability to discriminate colors and have basically normal color vision. However, their color discrimination abilities continue to develop and improve throughout the first year of life.

Question 10

Adult levels of visual acuity typically appear in human infants at _____ months of age:

Accepted Answer

Adult levels of visual acuity typically appear in human infants at 8 months of age.

Question 11

Infants reliably perceive depth at 1 month of age using stimulus information provided by _____:

Accepted Answer

Infants rely on kinetic cues, such as motion parallax, to perceive depth at a very early age, including at 1 month. This is because kinetic cues do not require the integration of information from both eyes, which is a skill that develops later.

Question 12

The study of perceptual development in children is motivated more by _____ than _____ concerns:

Accepted Answer

The study of perceptual development in children is primarily motivated by practical concerns such as improving educational practices and identifying potential learning disabilities, rather than philosophical concerns about the nature of perception.

Question 13

Which of the following senses shows the least amount of deterioration in later life?

Accepted Answer

Taste is the sense that shows the least amount of deterioration in later life.

Question 14

Which of the following perceptual abilities exhibits continuity, rather than discontinuity, over the life span?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following perceptual abilities exhibits...

Question 15

What role does inference play in the investigation of perceptual development? Please include examples of research methods that represent the continuum, from low to high, of levels of inference each provides.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What role does inference play in the...

Question 16

Describe how empirical studies using habituation-recovery provide clear and reliable data about infant perceptual development. Please provide examples of studies using this methodology with two different sensory modalities.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how empirical studies using habituation-recovery provide...

Question 17

Summarize the evidence presented by Bornstein, Arterberry, and Mash that perceptual development can be considered to be "experience-dependent" over the life-span.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Summarize the evidence presented by Bornstein, Arterberry,...

Quiz 6: Assessing Motor Development and Motor Skill Performance