Findings from the Visual Cliff Study on Depth Perception

Aim of the Visual Cliff study

To investigate whether depth perception is innate or learned.

Participants in the study

Human infants and young animals (e.g., kittens, lambs).

Setup for the human infant test

Babies were placed on a center board; their mother stood on the shallow side or the cliff side to encourage them.

Key findings with human babies

27 crawled to the shallow side; only 3 of those crossed onto the visual cliff.

Animal response on the cliff side

Many refused to cross, especially species that rely on depth perception early in life.

Conclusion by Gibson and Walk

Depth perception is influenced by experience — not entirely innate, especially in humans.