Podcast
Questions and Answers
Who performed the experiment?
Who performed the experiment?
Eleanor J. Gibson and Richard D. Walk
What year did the experiment take place?
What year did the experiment take place?
1960
What were they trying to investigate?
What were they trying to investigate?
The depth ability of newborn animals and human infants to detect depth
What was the hypothesis?
What was the hypothesis?
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What was the goal of the experiment?
What was the goal of the experiment?
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What was the independent variable for infants?
What was the independent variable for infants?
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What was the dependent variable for infants?
What was the dependent variable for infants?
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What was the independent variable for animals?
What was the independent variable for animals?
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What was the dependent variable for animals?
What was the dependent variable for animals?
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What is a possible confound in the study?
What is a possible confound in the study?
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What is a confounding variable?
What is a confounding variable?
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What was the sample used in the study?
What was the sample used in the study?
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What are ethical concerns of the study?
What are ethical concerns of the study?
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What are the results of the study?
What are the results of the study?
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What is the importance of the study?
What is the importance of the study?
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Study Notes
Experiment Overview
- Conducted by Eleanor J. Gibson and Richard D. Walk in 1960.
- Investigated depth perception abilities in newborn animals and human infants.
Research Hypothesis
- Proposed that depth perception is an inherent ability, not learned.
Experiment Goals
- Aimed to determine whether infants would crawl over an apparent cliff.
- If infants crawled over, depth perception would be considered learned; if not, it supports the view that perceptual abilities are innate.
Variables
- Independent Variable (Infants): Location where the infant was called (cliff side vs. shallow side).
- Dependent Variable (Infants): Whether the child crawled to their mother.
- Independent Variable (Animals): Different species of animals used in the study.
- Dependent Variable (Animals): Preference for shallow or deep side of the visual apparatus cliff.
Sample Population
- Included 36 infants aged 6 to 14 months.
- Also included newborn animals (chicks, lambs, and young goats under 24 hours old).
Possible Confounding Factors
- Sensory touch from a rat's whiskers could affect the results.
Ethical Concerns
- Infants could experience distress when looking at the apparent drop or being encouraged to cross by their mothers, unaware of the safety measures (glass) in place.
Study Results
- Concluded that depth perception is an innate ability.
Study Significance
- Demonstrated that many human abilities, including depth perception, are inherent rather than solely learned, supporting the nativist perspective in psychology.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the important psychological experiment conducted by Eleanor J. Gibson and Richard D. Walk in 1960. This quiz focuses on the visual cliff experiment and its implications for understanding depth perception in newborns. Challenge yourself with flashcards that cover key elements of the study!
