Perception is the use of the senses to acquire information or knowledge about the external world. Questions of perception can be asked at a basic level, such as how the five senses respond to external stimulation, or at a higher level, such as how do we determine depth or object shape. Questions of development focus on what capabilities humans have at the beginning of life and how the growing child comes to achieve adult levels.
Much of the research on perceptual development has focused on the first year or so of life, in part to answer intriguing questions about the roles of biological mechanisms and experience in directing development. Historically, the debate has centered on whether an ability is inborn (innate) or whether it emerges after birth as the result of specific experiences. This debate has been termed the nature–nurture controversy, and it has pervaded how we attempt to understand the mechanisms underlying perceptual development.
Two general views of perceptual development provide examples of the nature–nurture controversy. One view – termed constructivism – emphasizes the construction of perception through learning. For the constructivist view, the starting point is trying to make sense of sensations.
In every day experience, our senses are bombarded with stimulation, and the perceiver’s task is to make meaning of this stimulation. Over time, the young or naı¨ve perceiver begins to bring order to this barrage of information.
A prediction for development based on this view is that development of perception is protracted and likely to be reliant on specific experiences. A second view – termed ecological – starts at a very different point. The basic premise is that the perceiver is awash in information, not meaningless stimulation, and humans evolved (even the youngest perceivers) to pick up this information.
Predictions