Infant direction discrimination thresholds

Abstract

Although adults can detect direction differences as small as 1 arc degree, the ability of infants to discriminate direction of motion is less clear. This study measures the precision with which 6-, 12-, and 18-week-old infants discriminate direction of motion. Infants viewed random dot kinematograms in which a direction difference between the target and background dots defined a circular target. The target was then placed into continuous motion. An FPL paradigm was used to assess infants' preference for the target as a function of the direction difference between the target and background dots. Direction discrimination thresholds with a moving target were indeterminate at 6 weeks of age, 22 degrees at 12 weeks of age and 17 degrees at 18 weeks of age. This precision was maintained across different testing conditions. However, performance dropped markedly when dot motion was presented within a flickering stationary target. It was concluded that infants can make relatively fine discriminations of motion direction if given an engaging stimulus.