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Two‐ to Eight‐Month‐Old Infants’ Perception of Dynamic Auditory–Visual Spatial Colocation
Author(s) -
Bremner J. Gavin,
Slater Alan M.,
Johnson Scott P.,
Mason Uschi C.,
Spring Jo,
Bremner Maggie E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01593.x
Subject(s) - habituation , psychology , audiology , perception , developmental psychology , visual perception , auditory perception , medicine , neuroscience
From birth, infants detect associations between the locations of static visual objects and sounds they emit, but there is limited evidence regarding their sensitivity to the dynamic equivalent when a sound‐emitting object moves. In 4 experiments involving thirty‐six 2‐month‐olds, forty‐eight 5‐month‐olds, and forty‐eight 8‐month‐olds, we investigated infants’ ability to process this form of spatial colocation. Whereas there was no evidence of spontaneous sensitivity, all age groups detected a dynamic colocation during habituation and looked longer at test trials in which sound and sight were dislocated. Only 2‐month‐olds showed clear sensitivity to the dislocation relation, although 8‐month‐olds did so following additional habituation. These results are discussed relative to the intersensory redundancy hypothesis and work suggesting increasing specificity in processing with age.