The effects of experience upon preference for stimulus complexity were investigated. On each of 8 trials, children chose a colored candy from 4 simultaneously-presented stimulus arrays of differing complexity levels. Results indicated a significant increase in the level of complexity chosen from Trial 1 to 2, a decrease from 2 to 4, and an increase from 4 to 8 ( p < .01). These results support predictions of AL theory but differ from those of Dember and Earl (1957).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.