Infancy and the Optimal Level of Stimulation

Abstract

GREENBERG, DAVID J., and O'DONNELL, WILLIAM J. Infancy and the Optimal Level of Stimulation. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1972, 43, 639-645. To determine the viability of optimal level theory as it pertains to infant development, 72 infants, 36 6-week-olds and 36 11-week-olds, were shown 3 patterns using a single stimulus technique. 24 infants were shown 3 dot patterns varying in complexity; 24 3-checkerboard patterns varying in complexity, and 24 3-stripe patterns varying in complexity. As predicted by optimal level theory, for all 3 pattern groups, the 11-week infants spent more time fixating the more complex patterns and less time fixating the simple patterns than did the 6-week-old infants.