Trajectory perception and object continuity: effects of shape and color change on 4-month-olds' perception of object identity.
Previous work has demonstrated that infants use object trajectory continuity as a cue to the constant identity of an object, but results are equivocal regarding the role of object features, with some work suggesting that a change in the appearance of an object does not cue a change in identity. In an experiment involving 72 participants, we investigated the effects of changing object shape and color, singly and in combination, on 4-month-olds' perception of object continuity. A change in the shape of an object while it passed behind an occluder had no effect on perception of continuity, whereas a change in shape and color led to perception of discontinuity, and a change in color led to no clear percept regarding continuity or discontinuity. These results are discussed in terms of a perceptual learning model of development of object identity.
Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YF, England. j.g.bremner@lancaster.ac.uk
J Gavin
JG
Bremner
Alan M
AM
Slater
Uschi C
UC
Mason
Jo
J
Spring
Scott P
SP
Johnson
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013997:Time Factors