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Learning to look with one eye: the use of head turn by normals and strabismics
C A Dengis1, M J Steinbach, H Ono
1Center for Vision Research, York University, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Children develop head-turning strategies when looking through a tube, progressing through stages as they learn to use one eye. This head turn helps avoid double vision (diplopia) and is also used by adults when forced to use a non-preferred eye.
Area of Science:
- Vision science
- Developmental psychology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Young children initially place tubes between their eyes.
- Older children and adults develop more sophisticated visual strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental progression of visual strategies in children.
- To understand the reasons behind head-turning behavior when using a tube.
- To compare visual strategies in children and adults.
Main Methods:
- Videotaping 174 children (ages 2-17) and 16 adults viewing through a tube.
- Categorizing responses based on age and head-turn magnitude.
- Observing normal, strabismic, and monocularly enucleated children.
Main Results:
- Children progress through four distinct response stages when learning to view with one eye.
- Head-turning is used by binocular children to avoid diplopia.
- Adults revert to head-turning when using their non-preferred eye.
Conclusions:
- Head-turning is a developmental strategy to manage visual input and avoid diplopia.
- This behavior reflects adaptation in visual processing and eye usage.
- Adults demonstrate flexibility in visual strategies when visual input is altered.
Abstract:
When asked to look through a tube, young children (normal, strabismic, monocularly enucleated) place it between the eyes, while older children turn the head or shut one eye. We videotaped 174 children (normals and strabismics, 2-17 yr of age) and 16 normal adults to find out when and why head turn occurs. In learning to look with one eye, children progressed through a sequence of four responses, categorized by age or amount of head turn. Binocular children use head turn apparently to avoid diplopia, then, most learn to shut one eye. Adults, forced to use the "non-preferred" eye, revert to turning the head.