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To Grasp or Not to Grasp: Infants' Actions Toward Objects and Pictures
Christine J Ziemer1, Jodie M Plumert1, Anne D Pick2
1Department of Psychology University of Iowa.
Insights
Nine-month-old infants interact with realistic photographs and real objects differently. While infants grasp objects more than photographs, they perceive distinct affordances for both visual representations and physical items.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Infant Perception
- Visual Cliff Paradigm
Background:
- Understanding infant perception of pictorial representations is crucial for developmental psychology.
- Previous research suggests infants' interactions with 2D images differ from 3D objects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether 9-month-old infants perceive realistic photographs as graspable objects.
- To explore infants' differential actions towards photographs versus real objects.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with 9-month-old infants.
- Experiment 1 involved presenting infants with photographs, outlines, blobs, and blank pages.
- Experiment 2 used a false-bottom table to compare infant actions towards objects and pictures under a glass cover.
Main Results:
- Infants showed more grasping towards realistic photographs than other 2D stimuli.
- No significant difference was found in rubbing/patting actions between photographs and real objects.
- Infants exhibited significantly more grasping towards real objects than photographs.
Conclusions:
- Nine-month-old infants differentiate between photographs and real objects in their actions.
- Infants perceive different affordances for pictures and physical objects.
- Findings contribute to understanding early visual perception and object interaction.
Abstract:
We conducted two experiments to address questions over whether 9-month-old infants believe that objects depicted in realistic photographs can be picked up. In Experiment 1, we presented 9-month-old infants with realistic color photographs of objects, colored outlines of objects, abstract colored "blobs," and blank pages. Infants most commonly rubbed or patted depictions of all types. They also showed significantly more grasps toward the realistic photographs than toward the colored outlines, blobs, and blank pages, but only 24% of infants directed grasping exclusively at the photographs. In Experiment 2, we further explored infants' actions toward objects and pictures while controlling for tactile information. We presented 9-month-old infants with objects and pictures of objects under a glass cover in a false-bottom table. Although there were no significant differences between the proportion of rubs and pats infants directed toward the objects versus the photographs, infants exhibited significantly more grasping toward the objects than the photographs. Together, these findings show that 9-month-old infants largely direct appropriate actions toward realistic photographs and real objects, indicating that they perceive different affordances for pictures and objects.
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