Paula is interested in finding out whether infants can distinguish between bitter and salty tastes. What would be the most effective way to investigate her question?
A) Ask adults when they first remembered eating something bitter and something salty.
B) Repeatedly present one taste - either bitter or salty - and see whether infants habituate to it.
C) Observe infants' facial expressions or head movements to see whether they respond differently to bitter and salty tastes.
D) Use infants or toddlers who are old enough to answer questions about how things taste.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Observing infants' facial expressions or head movements would be the most effective way to investigate whether infants can distinguish between bitter and salty tastes. Infants cannot verbally communicate their taste preferences or experiences, so their nonverbal responses are the best way to gauge their reactions to different tastes. Habituation (choice B) could also be used, but it may not be as effective as observing facial expressions. Asking adults (choice A) is not useful as it does not directly assess infants' abilities, and using toddlers who can answer questions (choice D) would not be effective as they are likely to have already developed taste preferences and biases.

Paula Is Interested in Finding Out Whether Infants Can Distinguish