Addresses claims by Ackles and Karrer (1991) that the neurophysiological evidence used to support Dannemiller and Banks' selective adaptation model of early infant habituation (1983) fails to do so. Some evidence that has emerged since 1983 shows that some aspects of habituation during early infancy cannot be explained by appealing to selective…

Replies to argument presenting evidence against a model of habituation during early infancy which was based on the selective adaptation of feature detectors. (Author/BB)

Three studies examined the emergence of attention to gender categories in toddlers. Results suggested that 18-month-olds showed little attention to gender on a sequential touching task. The possibility that they could not discriminate the dolls used in the task by gender was ruled out. There was a sharp increase in attention to gender between 18…

Observational reinforcement was studied in 5- to 13-month-old infants in a contingency learning task where brief light-sound stimulation followed touches on a canister. The task was preceded by differing preexperiences for each of four study groups. Overall, results demonstrated that vicarious reinforcement in the preexperiences probably did not…

Examined predictive validity of measures of infant habituation and later aspects of temperament. Found babies who habituated sooner (fewer trials to criterion) at five months of age and had fewer peak fixations during habituation were rated by mothers as more active, intense, and negative in mood, and less persistent and adaptable. Age differences…

Rejects the neuronal fatigue, or selective adaptation, hypothesis of young infant habituation. Holds that studies cited by Dannemiller and Banks do not support the inferences of selective adaptation. Rejects the hypothetical neurophysiological mechanism of neuronal fatigue. Proposes that studies do not indicate that young infants' visual cortical…