Infant color vision: motion nulls for red/green vs luminance-modulated stimuli in infants and adults. 1996

D Y Teller, and J Palmer
Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. dteller@u.washington.edu

Four-week-olds, 9-week-olds, and adult subjects were tested with low spatial frequency sinusoidal gratings moving at a speed of 25 deg/sec. Luminance-modulated and red/green gratings were presented either separately, or superimposed and moving in opposite directions in a chromatic motion nulling paradigm. An adult observer judged the direction of the slow phase of the subject's eye movements. Luminance-modulated gratings elicited directionally appropriate eye movements in all three age groups, with contrast thresholds decreasing markedly with age. For red/green gratings alone, 4-week-olds responded only marginally, but 9-week-olds and adults produced consistent directionally appropriate eye movements. In the motion nulling condition, 15% contrast luminance-modulated gratings were about equally effective in nulling the motion of the red/green gratings in all three age groups. A formal model of the motion nulling paradigm, separating threshold and equivalent luminance contrast parameters, was developed and applied to the data. Model fits showed that equivalent luminance contrast was constant or nearly constant across age groups. This outcome is consistent with the hypothesis that, with respect to adults, infants show a uniform rather than a differential loss of sensitivity to moving red/green vs luminance-modulated stimuli.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008954 Models, Biological Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of biological processes or diseases. For disease models in living animals, DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL is available. Biological models include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment. Biological Model,Biological Models,Model, Biological,Models, Biologic,Biologic Model,Biologic Models,Model, Biologic
D009039 Motion Perception The real or apparent movement of objects through the visual field. Movement Perception,Perception, Motion,Perception, Movement
D010775 Photic Stimulation Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity. Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D011601 Psychophysics The science dealing with the correlation of the physical characteristics of a stimulus, e.g., frequency or intensity, with the response to the stimulus, in order to assess the psychologic factors involved in the relationship. Psychophysic
D003116 Color The visually perceived property of objects created by absorption or reflection of specific wavelengths of light. Colors
D003118 Color Perception Mental processing of chromatic signals (COLOR VISION) from the eye by the VISUAL CORTEX where they are converted into symbolic representations. Color perception involves numerous neurons, and is influenced not only by the distribution of wavelengths from the viewed object, but also by its background color and brightness contrast at its boundary. Color Perceptions,Perception, Color,Perceptions, Color
D005133 Eye Movements Voluntary or reflex-controlled movements of the eye. Eye Movement,Movement, Eye,Movements, Eye
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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