LONG-LOOKING AND SHORT-LOOKING INFANTS RECOGNITION OF SYMMETRICAL ANDASYMMETRICAL FORMS

Adults process symmetrical visual forms more rapidly than asymmetrical visual forms, presumably because symmetrical forms are amenable to a global visual encoding strategy. Individual differences in look durati on during infancy have been hypothesized to covary with different mode s of visual intake and encoding, with longer look durations reflecting encoding based on prolonged inspection of local visual properties, an d briefer look durations reflecting encoding based on more of a global , or global-to-local processing sequence. This hypothesis predicts tha t short-looking infants would process symmetrical stimuli faster than asymmetrical stimuli, but that long-looking infants would not. Three e xperiments are described here in which this prediction is tested. Resu lts were in general accord with the prediction, and provide further su pport for the hypothesis that individual differences in look duration may reflect different modes of visual encoding or inspection. (C) 1998 Academic Press.