The gap effect in newborns

Abstract

In four experiments we investigated the gap effect in infants within the first 3 days of life. Reaction times (RTs) to make a saccade to a peripheral target were measured on gap trials, in which the central fixation stimulus went off 500 ms before target presentation, and on overlap trials, in which the central fixation stimulus remained on. In every experiment the fixation stimulus was a flashing light. The target stimulus was a schematic face in Experiment 1, a flashing light shown at 20 eccentricity in Experiment 2, a flashing light shown at 30 eccentricity in Experiment 3, and an upsidedown schematic face in Experiment 4. In Experiments 1±3 a gap effect was found. That is, RT was faster on gap than on overlap trials. In contrast, the gap effect was absent in Experiment 4. These findings are consistent with the view that the superior colliculus plays a major role in producing the gap effect at birth.

Perceptual Completion in Newborn Human Infants

“…In a second condition, the stroboscopic motion presented a horizontal, oscillatory motion. Based on the findings of past studies of motion sensitivity (Bronson, 1990;Farroni et al, 2000;Goldberg & Wurtz, 1972;Goldberg et al, 1997;Rock et al, 1965;Taga et al, 2003;Vehrs & Baum, 1971), it was hypothesized that newborn infants under both conditions would look longer at the stroboscopically moving object, demonstrating sensitivity to stroboscopic motion in partial occlusion displays.…”

“…Recent findings, however, suggest a way out of this impasse. Although newborn infants have limited abilities to perceive and track continuous motion, they may be more sensitive to flicker and stroboscopic motion (Farroni, Simion, Umiltà, & Dalla Barba, 2000;Goldberg, Maurer, & Lewis, 1997;Taga, Asakawa, Hirasawa, & Konoshi, 2003;Vehrs & Baum, 1971). Stroboscopic motion, a movement elicited by presenting the same object in temporally and spatially discontinuous positions, is mediated by subcortical structures that are active at birth (Bronson, 1990;Goldberg & Wurtz, 1972;Rock, Taube, & Heller, 1965).…”

Disentangling the mechanisms underlying infant fixation durations in scene perception: A computational account

“…At around 1 month postnatal age, unregulated tonic inhibition of the superior colliculus prevents infants from consistently moving their eyes from a point of foveation. This phenomenon is commonly known as "sticky fixation" or "obligatory attention" (Atkinson, 2000;Braddick et al, 1992;Farroni, Simion, Umiltà, & Barba, 1999;Frick, Colombo, & Saxon, 1999;Johnson, 2011) and is thought to diminish from 3 to 4 months with the increasing cortical control over saccades. Sticky fixation is thought to occur due to problems with "disengagement", defined as the difficulty in generating an eye-movement after a fixation (Johnson, 1990).…”

“…The ability to disengage from a central target to shift the gaze to a peripheral target has traditionally been evaluated using the gap-overlap paradigm (Atkinson, Hood, Wattam-Bell, & Braddick, 1992;Farroni et al, 1999;Hood & Atkinson, 1990Johnson, Posner, & Rothbart, 1991). Reaction times are usually faster on gap trials, where the central target disappears and after a temporal gap (e.g., 200 ms) the peripheral target appears.…”

Neural mechanisms of attention become more specialised during infancy: Insights from combined eye tracking and EEG

“…Atkinson & Braddick, (review); Atkinson, Hood, Braddick, & Wattam‐Bell, ; Butcher, Kalverboer, & Geuze, ; Hood & Atkinson, ) and the similar Gap Paradigm (e.g. Farroni, Simion, Umiltà, & Barba, ; Johnson, Posner, & Rothbart, ; Matsuzawa & Shimojo, ). When the infant fixates a stimulus in the centre of the screen a second peripheral target stimulus is presented either to the left or right.…”