How do infants perceive the world around them?

In research to study the perceptual capability of infants, various methods are used to establish infants' reaction to diverse stimuli. Since they cannot talk or fill in a questionnaire, indirect methods of naturalistic examination are employed as the keyway of establishing what infants can view, hear and feel among others ( Wohlwill, 2016). Each of these techniques compares an infant's condition before the initiation of the stimulus, with the position during and immediately after the stimulus. The variation between the two evaluations offers the researcher with a sign of the degree and time of the reaction to the stimulus. For example, passing a specific through the visual field of an infant repetitively, he/she may follow up using the eyes. The eye movement is clear evidence that the moving pattern is perceived by the infant.

One of the key technique is the observational evaluation method. This technique has significantly advanced in the recent years, helping minimize limitation associated with it. For instance, film examination of the infant reaction, heart and respiration rate assessments, and nonnutntive sucking instruments are employed as the best assessment tools in learning and acknowledging infant perception ( Wohlwill, 2016).  Film analysis offers the best opportunity for the researcher to cautiously examine the infant reaction severally and in slow motion. Accurate assessments can be obtained by examining the duration and frequency of the infant's concentration between two stimuli. Heart and respiration monitors offer the researcher with the number of heartbeats or inhalation taken when a new stimulus is introduced. The digital increase is used as an indicator of increased interest in the introduced stimulus. Raise in nonnutntive sucking was first employed as an evaluation measure in 1969 ( Wohlwill, 2016).  The different stimulus was introduced to the infants, and the alterations in infant's sucking habits were recorded, and the rise in the number of sucks was employed as a sign of infant's concentration or interest to the specific visual display.

Reference

Wohlwill, J. F. (2016).  The study of behavioral development . Academic Press.