Sensitivity to First- and Second-Order Drifting Gratings in 3-Month-Old Infants

In two experiments, we investigated 3-month-old infants' sensitivity to first- and second-order drifting gratings. In Experiment 1 we used forced-choice preferential looking with drifting versus stationary gratings to estimate depth modulation thresholds for 3-month-old infants and a similar task for a comparison group of adults. Thresholds for infants were more adult-like for second-order than first-order gratings. In Experiment 2, 3-month-olds dishabituated to a change in first-order orientation, but not to a change in direction of first- or second-order motion. Hence, results from Experiment 1 were likely driven by the perception of flicker rather than motion. Thus, infants' sensitivity to uniform motion is slow to develop and appears to be driven initially by flicker-sensitive mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms have more mature tuning for second-order than for first-order information.