Question 1

Baby Kendra, who is six days old, is presented with two breast pads: one that has been used by her mother and that smells of the mother and the other that has not been used at all. Which one will Kendra probably prefer?

Accepted Answer

Babies have a strong sense of smell and are able to recognize their mother's scent within days of birth. Therefore, Kendra will most likely show a preference for the breast pad that has been used by her mother and has her scent on it.

Question 2

Fantz's research method to study sensory and perceptual development-studying whether infants can distinguish one stimulus from another by measuring the length of time they attend to different stimuli-is referred to as the

Accepted Answer

Fantz's research method is known as the visual preference method. This approach is based on the observation that infants will look longer at stimuli they find more interesting or novel, indicating their ability to distinguish between different visual patterns or objects.

Question 3

In the Gibsons' ecological view on perceptual development in infancy, objects have ________, which are opportunities for interaction offered by objects that fit within our capabilities to perform activities.

Accepted Answer

In the Gibsons' ecological view, objects have affordances, which are the opportunities for interaction offered by objects that fit within our capabilities to perform activities.

Question 4

________ perception involves integrating information from two or more sensory modalities.

Accepted Answer

Intermodal perception involves integrating information from two or more sensory modalities.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about perceptual-motor coupling in infants is true?

Accepted Answer

Perceptual-motor coupling refers to the continuous coordination of perception and action, and it begins in infancy. Infants use perceptual information to guide their movements, such as reaching for an object they visually perceive. This coupling between perception and motor activity is essential for all early development and learning. Therefore, option B is correct while option A, C, and D are all incorrect.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true of an infant's color vision?

Accepted Answer

Infant color vision is not fully developed at birth and undergoes maturation as the infant ages. By four months of age, their color vision typically approximates that of an adult. Experience also plays a role in the development of color vision, as exposure to different hues can affect the infant's color discrimination abilities.

Question 7

Sheena wants to hang a picture above her baby's crib. She wants her baby to show interest in the picture. Which of the following pictures is the baby most likely to be interested in?

Accepted Answer

Babies show a preference for looking at faces over other shapes or objects, finding them more interesting and engaging.

Question 8

According to theorists Eleanor and James Gibson, who developed the ecological view of perceptual development in infancy, which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

According to the ecological view of perceptual development, people's perceptual system can select from the rich information that the environment itself provides. This means that our perception is not just based on the sensations we receive, but on the entire array of visual, auditory, and other sensory information that is present in the environment around us. This theory emphasizes the importance of the environment in shaping development, as it provides the necessary information for our perceptual systems to develop and adapt to our surroundings.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is true about perception in infants?

Accepted Answer

Newborns have a less developed auditory system than adults and may have difficulty processing soft sounds. However, they are still able to hear a wide range of sounds, including high-pitched and low-pitched tones. Infants are also able to perceive pain.

Question 10

Amanda is 6 days old. Which of the following statements is true about Amanda's hearing?

Accepted Answer

Infants like Amanda are more sensitive to higher-pitched sounds than to lower-pitched ones. Additionally, they are able to determine the general location from where a sound is coming.

Question 11

The technique of ________ consists of measuring eye movements that follow a moving object and can be used to evaluate an infant's early visual ability.

Accepted Answer

Eye-tracking involves measuring eye movements that follow a moving object, and this technique can be used to evaluate an infant's early visual ability. Choice A (eye-orienting) and Choice C (visual preference) are related to evaluating infant visual abilities but do not involve measuring eye movements. Choice B (spotting) is not a technique used to evaluate infant visual abilities.

Question 12

Amber, a 4-month-old baby, knows that the form of a dinner plate remains the same whether it is flat on the table or standing in the dish drainer. In the context of perceptual constancy, Amber has most likely developed

Accepted Answer

Perceptual constancy refers to the ability to perceive objects as unchanging in their shape, size, color, and other physical characteristics even when they are viewed from different angles or under different lighting conditions. In this scenario, Amber understands that the dinner plate has the same shape whether it is flat on the table or standing in the dish drainer. This indicates that she has developed shape constancy, which is the ability to perceive the shape of an object as constant despite changes in its orientation or position. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Question 13

In the visual cliff experiment by Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk, which of the following did most babies do when encouraged to crawl onto the deep side of the visual cliff?

Accepted Answer

Most babies in the visual cliff experiment did not crawl onto the deep side of the visual cliff, indicating that they have developed depth perception by the time they are able to crawl.

Question 14

Your professor says that our perception brings us into contact with the environment in order to interact with and adapt to it. This indicates that he holds a(n) ________ view on perceptual development.

Accepted Answer

The statement "our perception brings us into contact with the environment in order to interact with and adapt to it" reflects the ecological view on perceptual development, which emphasizes the importance of the environment in shaping perception and adaptive behaviors. The ethological view focuses on innate and instinctual behaviors, the evolutionary view emphasizes the role of natural selection in shaping perceptual abilities, and the genetic view looks at how genes influence perceptual development.

Question 15

Baby Max watches his mother jingle her keys in front of him. After several minutes, he looks away no longer interested. This would indicate that he is habituated to it and is showing ________ to the stimulus after repeated presentations of the stimulus.

Accepted Answer

Habituation refers to a decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated presentations of the stimulus. Therefore, the best choice is A, decreased responsiveness. Increased familiarity (B) and increased interest (C) would suggest that the baby is still actively engaging with the stimulus, which is not the case in this scenario. Decreased anxiety (D) is not relevant to habituation.

Question 16

The "visual cliff" experiment was used to measure

Accepted Answer

The "visual cliff" experiment was created to test an infant's depth perception abilities. It involved a table that was raised to create the illusion of a drop-off or cliff, and the infant's behavior was observed to see if they could perceive the depth and avoid "falling." Therefore, the correct choice is D, depth perception.

Question 17

John believes that his six-month-old baby, Ali, was born with the ability to perceive the world in an organized way. In the field of perceptual development, John would be described as a(n)

Accepted Answer

John's belief that Ali was born with the ability to perceive the world in an organized way aligns with the nativist perspective, which asserts that certain abilities or knowledge are innate, rather than acquired through experience.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of intermodal perception?

Accepted Answer

Intermodal perception is the integration of information from different sensory modalities to form a uniﬁed perceptual experience. This process helps people experience the world as a smooth, unitary episode despite receiving information from multiple sensory sources. Options A and C discuss specific aspects of object recognition and shape constancy, which are not synonymous with intermodal perception. Option D is incorrect, as early forms of intermodal perception actually become stronger with experience.

Question 19

Baby Jane, a three-day-old infant, is shown four drawings: a bright blue square, a white oval, a yellow circle, and a drawing of a face. According to Robert Fantz's visual preference method, which drawing would she probably prefer to look at for a longer time?

Accepted Answer

According to Robert Fantz's visual preference method, infants show a preference for more complex stimuli. Among these four drawings, the drawing of a face is the most complex and hence Baby Jane is likely to prefer looking at it for a longer time.

Question 20

Winnie is considering the use of anesthesia during the circumcision of her newborn son. She wants to know if newborns can feel pain. What would you tell her?

Accepted Answer

Recent research indicates that newborns can feel pain. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that "Non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic pain management modalities should be used to prevent or reduce pain experienced by neonates undergoing necessary painful procedures." Therefore, it is recommended to use anesthesia during circumcision to minimize pain and distress for the newborn.

Quiz 3: Physical and Cognitive Dvelopment in Infancy