Robert L. Fantz

Visual Experience in Infants: Decreased Attention to Familiar Patterns Relative to Novel Ones

A complex visual pattern presented for ten successive 1-minute exposure periods was fixated progressively less than comparable novel stimuli by infants 2 to 6 months old. This indicates the occurrence of recognition and habituation of visual responsiveness to specific patterns, and suggests that familiarization with the environment begins through visual exploration before more active exploration is possible.

Pattern Vision in Newborn Infants

Human infants under 5 days of age consistently looked more at black-and-white patterns than at plain colored surfaces, which indicates the innate ability to perceive form.

VISUAL PERCEPTION FROM BIRTH AS SHOWN BY PATTERN SELECTIVITY

808 Annals New York Academy of S c i e n c e s 23% 2 2 % I8 Yo 18% 1 1 % 8 %

Neonatal pattern vision: a predictor of future mental performance?

The visual fixation responses of 33 high-risk neonates to patterned stimuli were rated as normal, suspect, or abnormal in an attempt to predict future intellectual performance. For comparison purposes, a neurologic examination was aslo administered. Follow-up studies based on autopsies and neurologic and psychological testing agreed with the neonatal visual preference ratings in 27 cases, but with the neurologic examination ratings in only 22 cases. This preliminary study suggests that neonatal visual testing is a promising technique for evaluating brain integrity in the newborn period.