Abstract
The influence of arousal level on visual preferences was investigated in preterm infants (X PCA = 37.9 weeks) in different feeding and swaddling conditions. Infants (N = 16 each of two studies) viewed cubes varying in size and number or viewed light panels varying in frequency of illumination. They showed preferences for more cubes or faster frequencies when least aroused (postfeeding swaddled); decreased preferences as arousal increased; and no preferences when most aroused (prefeeding unswaddled). To determine whether this absence of preference was due to a truncated stimulus range or disruption, 12 additional infants viewed an extended range of cube stimuli when in the most and least aroused conditions. In both conditions, significant inverted U-shaped preference functions were found. In addition, these functions differed from each other due to a shift in their maxima toward more cubes when infants were less aroused and less cubes when more aroused. The findings support the view that looking preferences are determined by the effective intensity of stimulation which, as defined by Schneirla (1965) , varies with both stimulus intensity and organismic characteristics.
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