Perceptual Development Summary

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to perceptual development, focusing on concepts relevant to infant visual perception and cognitive development.

Preferential Looking Method

A research method used to study infants' preferences for certain visual stimuli.

Visual Acuity

The clarity or sharpness of vision, which improves significantly by 36 months old.

Perceptual Narrowing

A developmental process where infants become less sensitive to stimuli outside their experienced categories.

Critical Periods

Specific time frames during development when perceptual systems are sensitive to environmental stimuli.

Contrast Sensitivity Function

The ability to detect differences in luminance between an object and its background.

Face-like stimuli

Visual patterns resembling human faces that attract the attention of infants.

Colour Perception

The ability to see and differentiate colors, which matures from birth to adulthood.

Newborn Colour Vision

Although color receptors are present at birth, the infant's ability to see color is immature.

Experience shapes perception

How early experiences influence the development of perceptual sensitivity and bias.

Early Environmental Experience

The different stimuli and interactions that infants are exposed to, which shape their perceptual skills.