Perceptual Development During Infancy

Perceptual development in infancy allows infants to make sense of their environment through various sensory systems.

The development of depth and haptic perception is explained here.

First, depth perception is the ability to see objects and surfaces in three dimensions.

It relies on three cues: kinetic, binocular, and monocular.

Around 3 to 4 months, infants first use kinetic or motion-based cues. Seeing how objects move in relation to one another helps the brain perceive distance.

At about 4 months, infants begin using binocular cues. The brain compares different images from each eye. Greater differences between the two images indicate closer objects.

By 5 to 7 months, infants begin using monocular cues. These cues use information from one eye, such as relative size. Objects that appear larger are seen as closer, while smaller objects are seen as farther away.

Next, haptic perception involves gaining information about objects through active touch instead of just observation.

For example, by mouthing an object, infants use the tongue’s receptors to notice fine differences and gain detailed sensory information about that object.