OCR Applied Psychology: Child Psychology - Perceptual Development Summary Sheet
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Course
A2 Unit G543 - Options in Applied Psychology
Institution
OCR
A summary sheet containing the background, method, procedure, aims and conclusions of Gibson and Walk's research into perceptual development, as part of the OCR A-Level Child Psychology module.
Background and Aims – Gibson and Method and Procedure – Gibson and Walk (1960) Applications
Walk (1960)
The study was a laboratory experiment using a The findings from Gibson and Walk’s
Perception is the processing of sensory repeated measures design, where the independent experiment could be used to develop
information from the world around us variable was whether the babies were called by their strategies in sensory integration therapy (SI
through environmental stimuli. The mothers from across the shallow or deep side of the therapy). This is where children who
information is received by sensory visual cliff. The dependent variable was whether the struggle to process sensory information are
receptors, such as an eye. Nativists baby crawled across the visual cliff to their mother. sent to complete activities which help
believe that humans are born with some However, the studies on animals were quasi develop their perceptual skills. Gibson and
experiments, where the IV was the species of the Walk’s experiment helped therapists and
perceptual abilities, however not all are
animal and the DV was their preference for the shallow
innate. Constructivists argue that we are psychologists to tailor specific activities and
or deep side.
all born with little to no perception skills, methods to a child according to which
and interactionists suggest that we are perceptual skills are underdeveloped
Babies and animals were tested individually in the
born with strong predispositions to study. The babies were placed on the centreboard and alongside the child as an individual. This
develop perceptual skills, however these their mother called them from either the shallow or helps children to develop their perceptual
develop further in response to our deep side of the visual cliff to encourage them to crawl skills in appropriate ways which do not
environment, such as depth perception. across the glass. The researchers recorded whether the cause stress or difficulty for them.
baby crawled across or not. The animals completed a
Gibson and Walk’s main aims were to similar procedure, however it was recorded which side Conclusions – Gibson and Walk (1960)
investigate if the ability to perceive of the visual cliff the animals preferred.
depth is innate or learned through
Gibson and Walk concluded that most
experience, to see where in a child’s life Control experiments also took place to ensure that
they begin to develop depth perception
infants can perceive depth once they can
motion parallax and relative size visual cues weren’t
and whether this is similar to some affecting the babies’ and animals’ preferences. The crawl. Although these findings cannot
animals, and to see which visual cues are researchers increased the size of the squares on the prove that depth perception is innate, the
more important; motion parallax or deep side to appear to be the same size as the squares findings from the experiments with animals
relative size, on the shallow side to see if relative size played a role. can support this conclusion. However, the
The researchers also tested motion parallax by equal findings between light-reared rats
attaching the checkered floor directly to the glass on and dark-reared rats can support the idea
the deep side but enlarged the squares on the shallow that depth perception is innate
side to make them appear closer,
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