Lecture 5. Development of higher visual processing
Suggested reading:
Slater, A. (2004) Visual Perception. Chapter in Bremner & Fogel (Eds.) Handbook of
Infant development. Blackwell Publishers.
Baillargeon, R. (2004) Infants’ reasoning about hidden objects. Dev Science
Carey S, Xu F. (2001). Infants' knowledge of objects. Cognition.
Theories of development
• Nativitists
– 17th-18th century: children = adults
– Thomas Hobbes
• Original sin; Selfish egoists; Society must control children
– Jean Jacques Rousseau
• Children have innate purity which society misdirects
• Knowledge/ Perception gained through experience
• John Locke
– Tabula rasa (blank slates)
• Infant world a “buzzing blooming confusion”: William James (1800’s)
Theories of perceptual development
• Piagetian theory:
– no understanding of perception without experience
– infants make sense of sensory information through interaction with environment
• Ecological theory:
– Eleanor and James Gibson
– direct perception - AFFORDANCES - environment provides information
– perceptual learning:
• process of increased efficiency
• process of distinguishing finer discrimination
Cognitive Development
• Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
– Swiss Psychologist
– Stage Theory - 4 distinct stages
– based on observations of his own children
• Children actively construct their cognitive world
• Piaget conducted observational research
• Interested in errors children made whilst solving problems
Piaget’s cognitive stages
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