What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine whether young infants exhibit innate defensive avoidance behaviors in response to optical and physical stimuli signaling impending collision.

February 26, 1971Science

Infant Responses to Impending Collision: Optical and Real

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Authors

WBWilliam A. BallMerck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (United States)ETEdward Z. TronickBoston University

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Implication

Experimental study demonstrates defensive avoidance responses to impending collisions in 2- to 11-week-old infants, indicating an innate perceptual capacity for collision detection.

Key Points

To determine whether young infants exhibit innate defensive avoidance behaviors in response to optical and physical stimuli signaling impending collision.
Tested 24 infants aged 2 to 11 weeks exposed to symmetrically expanding, asymmetrically expanding, and contracting shadow displays, with and without kinetic depth information.
Tested 7 infants presented with real physical objects approaching on either direct collision or miss trajectories in a second experiment.
All 24 infants exhibited an integrated avoidance response and upset to symmetrically expanding shadows, whereas no avoidance was elicited by asymmetrically expanding or contracting shadows.
Kinetic depth cues did not alter response probability or intensity, and all 7 infants in the second experiment displayed defensive reactions exclusively to real objects approaching on a direct collision path.

Cite This Study

Ball et al. (1971) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a19945fbdd35483aadebe96 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.171.3973.818

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Implication

Experimental study demonstrates defensive avoidance responses to impending collisions in 2- to 11-week-old infants, indicating an innate perceptual capacity for collision detection.

Infant Responses to Impending Collision: Optical and Real

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Infant Responses to Impending Collision: Optical and Real

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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