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It’s a confusing world for babies. To make sense of it, they look for intellectual stimulation. But they’re only interested if what they look at is not too hard to comprehend—or boringly easy. Researchers call it the Goldilocks effect, in a study in the journal Public Library of Science One. [Celeste Kidd, Steven T. Piantadosi and Richard N. Aslin, "The Goldilocks Effect: Human Infants Allocate Attention to Visual Sequences That Are Neither Too Simple Nor Too Complex"]
Seventy-two seven- and eight-month-old babies had their eye movements tracked as they watched videos. They sat on their parents’ laps for security—but the grown-ups wore visors and headphones, so they couldn’t see the videos and give subconscious cues.
In the videos, objects appeared behind or in boxes. When a video became too boring—exactly the same thing happened all the time—the babies lost interest and looked away.
But when the videos got too complex—with no pattern or action that could be anticipated—the babies again stopped looking. They needed just enough complexity.
The researchers say the study suggests that babies need some element of surprise to maintain attention. They add this finding is reminiscent of theories about adult learners, who might lose interest if material is too easy or too hard. Like Goldlocks’s porridge, it has to be just right.
—Cynthia Graber
[The above text is an exact transcript of this podcast.]
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6 Comments
Add Commentie: diversity. get a clue people.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis raises an interesting question: what is best for babies? Would it be best to try and provide them with stimulating entertainment all the time, but with the risk that 1) the baby comes to expect the world to be continuously entertaining; and 2) as a result, the baby expects stimulation to be provided and fails to explore in order to discover and create stimulating actions on her own. Alternatively, would it be best to provide a certain level of stimulation, but also allow the baby to be bored regularly so that she seeks and creates stimulation -- assuming that she would do so.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a baby myself, I find I want what I want when I want it. Got that?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou can jump up and down all you like and I may lead you on, but ultimately I will hold you responsible for what I've become, that is until I don't anymore and grow into the person I was meant to be, as determined by countless factors. But please, by all means, make those silly faces and I will reward you with my attention.....sometimes.
And keep studying us.....it really is important.
Learning is so very important with infants. Learning how to deal with boredom is very much a part of that learning. That means having to actually think about something for yourself. Some people just can't handle that. That's why we have the Democratic party; for people who can't think for themselves, because of mental deficiencies, lack of parental training, and, of course, just plain old laziness.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEven a baby can recognize feeble-mindedness, lowndesw.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCheap, simplistic and divisive comments keep us from evolving in positive ways.
lownsdesw, I actually agree with your first two sentences. Too bad you ruin it bt then going off on a silly political tangent.
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