CONDITIONS AFFECTING BELIEFS ABOUT VISUAL-PERCEPTION AMONG CHILDREN AND ADULTS

Children and adults were tested on their beliefs about whether visual processes involved intromissions (visual input) or extramissions (visu al output) across a variety of situations. The idea that extramissions are part of the process of vision was first expressed by ancient phil osophers, including Plate, Euclid, and Ptolemy and has been shown to b e evident in children and in some adults. The present research showed that when questions about vision referred to luminous as opposed to no n-luminous objects, under certain conditions there was some increase i n intromission beliefs, but almost no corresponding decline in extrami ssion beliefs, and no evidence of transfer of intromission responses t o questions referring to nonluminous objects. A separate study showed that college students, but not children, increased their extramission responses to questions providing a positive emotional context. The res ults are inconsistent with the idea that simple experiences increase o r reinforce a coherent theory of vision. The results also have implica tions for understanding the nature of beliefs about scientific process es and for education. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.