| Abstract: | Human infants younger than 2 mo scan predominantly the external contours of compound figures; in contrast, 2-mo-olds scan internal and external features of such patterns. Whether infant rhesus monkeys (N?=?12) show a similar shift over the first weeks of life was examined in the present study. Visual activity was monitored while Ss viewed squares with internal details, a square without internal details, and the internal details alone. Results show that Ss scanned the internal details of compound figures even during the first week of life. By Weeks 3 and 7, they scanned the internal details less, increasing fixations of the external contour. Amount of looking during the first week was influenced predominantly by the number of elements in a pattern; in contrast, at Weeks 3 and 7 it was influenced foremost by the amount of perimeter and secondarily by the number of elements. The differences between visual activity in rhesus and human infants are discussed. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
