Individual Differences in Neonatal Preferences for Planometric and Stereometric Visual Patterns

Abstract

JONES-MOLFESE, VICTORIA J. Individual Differences in Neonatal Preferences for Planometric and Stereometric Visual Patterns. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1972, 43, 1289-1296. The visual preferences of 20 premature and 20 fullterm neonates were measured for planometric and stereometric checkerboard patterns. The patterns were presented in pairs, and the length of fixation time to each pattern was recorded. Coombs's scaling model was applied to the data, and the results indicated no maturity differences in preference for planometric patterns that varied in amount of contour. Clear maturity differences were shown in the preferences for stereometric patterns, which differed from the planometric patterns in amount of contour, texture cues, and shading contrast. The presence of individual differences in the preferences highlighted the importance of using an individual-differences analysis. Coombs's scaling model was shown to be a useful analysis for individual-differences data.