Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SENSES: TAKING IN THE WORLD 
When proud parents peer into the eyes of their neonate, is the child able to return 
their gaze? Although it was thought for some time that newborns can see only a 
hazy blur, most current fi ndings indicate that neonates’ capabilities are far more 
impressive. Although their eyes have a limited capacity to focus on objects that are 
not within a seven- to eight-inch distance from the face, neonates can follow objects 
moving within their fi eld of vision. They also show the rudiments of depth percep-
tion as they react by raising their hands when an object appears to be moving rapidly 
toward the face (Gelman & Kit-Fong Au, 1996; Maurer et al., 1999). 
You might think that it would be hard to fi gure out just how well neonates can 
see because their lack of both language and reading ability clearly prevents them 
from saying what direction the E on a vision chart is facing. However, researchers 
have devised a number of ingenious methods that rely on the newborn’s biological 
responses and innate refl exes to test perceptual skills. 
For instance, infants who see a novel stimulus typically pay close attention to it; 
as a consequence, their heart rates increase. But if they repeatedly see the same 
stimulus, their attention to it decreases, as indicated by a return to a slower heart 
Study Alert
The basic refl exes— 
unlearned, involuntary 
responses—include the 
rooting refl ex, the sucking 
refl ex, the gag refl ex, the 
startle refl ex, and the 
Babinski refl ex.
FIGURE 1
Although at birth a neonate can make only jerky, limited voluntary movements, 
during the fi rst year of life the ability to move independently grows enormously. The ages 
indicate the time when 50% of children are able to perform each skill. Remember, however, 
that the time when each skill appears can vary considerably. For example, 25% of children are 
able to walk well at age 11 months; by 15 months 90% of children are walking well. 
(Source: 
Frankenburg et al., 1992)
16.6 months: 
walking up steps 
11.5 months: 
standing alone 
well 
3.2 months:
rolling over 
3.3 months:
grasping rattle 
12.3 months: 
walking well 
5.9 months:
sitting without 
support 
14.8 months: 
building tower of 
two cubes 
7.2 months:
standing while holding 
on 
23.8 months: 
jumping in place 
8.2 months: 
grasping with thumb 
and finger 
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