PSYC2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Anise, Olfaction, Quinine
16 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Contrast = difference in brightness between adjacent regions. Contrast sensitivity depends on size (of elements) and contrast. Young infants may see the 1st checkerboard pattern but not the second. Infant: preferences, discriminations, newborns no blues (400-500 nm), no yellow-greens (560- 16 deg: 2 month olds, no yellow-greens, 4 deg, 3 months old, see all colours if, at least, 1-2 deg. Color vision and acuity are poor at birth because the fovea is underdeveloped: point on the retina where vision is sharpest, packed with cones. The infant fovea contains large, immature, less densely packed cones. Scan environment and try to track interesting objects. Unable to see long distances, or focus clearly; poor acuity. Brain development helps infants vision to improve gradually: 3 months, focus, contrast, and color vision adult-like. Can hear a wide variety of sounds at birth. Sensitive to voices and biologically prepared to learn language.
