Robert L. Fantz
Encyclopedia
Robert L. Fantz was an American
developmental
psychologist who pioneered several for studying infant perception. In particular, the preferential looking
paradigm introduced by Fantz in the 1960s is widely used in cognitive development
and categorization
studies among small babies.
Working at the Case Western Reserve University
, Fantz introduced in 1958 the visual preference paradigm - showing that infants look longer at patterned (e.g. checkered) images rather than uniform images. A innovation in this task was the measurement of the duration of the infant gaze rather than just the direction of first gaze. In 1964, Fantz extended this idea to habituation
situations, to show that over multiple exposures to the same and a different image, the infant gradually exhibited a preference for the novel stimulus. The researcher could now estimate an infant’s discriminatory and perceptual capability by showing different images in highly controlled situations, often within a stagelike box, and observing what changes in the scenarios the infant would perceive as novel.
The American Psychological Foundation has instituted the annual Robert Frantz Memorial Award for research in "perceptual-cognitive development and the development of selective attention"; and also "development of individuality, creativity, and free-choice of behavior."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
developmental
Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology, also known as human development, is the scientific study of systematic psychological changes, emotional changes, and perception changes that occur in human beings over the course of their life span. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to...
psychologist who pioneered several for studying infant perception. In particular, the preferential looking
Preferential looking
Preferential looking is an experimental method in developmental psychology used to gain insight into the young mind/brain. The method as used today was developed by the developmental psychologist Robert L. Frantz in the 1960s.-General account:...
paradigm introduced by Fantz in the 1960s is widely used in cognitive development
Cognitive development
Cognitive development is a field of study in neuroscience and psychology focusing on a child's development in terms of information processing, conceptual resources, perceptual skill, language learning, and other aspects of brain development and cognitive psychology compared to an adult's point of...
and categorization
Categorization
Categorization is the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Categorization implies that objects are grouped into categories, usually for some specific purpose. Ideally, a category illuminates a relationship between the subjects and objects of knowledge...
studies among small babies.
Working at the Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, Fantz introduced in 1958 the visual preference paradigm - showing that infants look longer at patterned (e.g. checkered) images rather than uniform images. A innovation in this task was the measurement of the duration of the infant gaze rather than just the direction of first gaze. In 1964, Fantz extended this idea to habituation
Habituation
Habituation can be defined as a process or as a procedure. As a process it is defined as a decrease in an elicited behavior resulting from the repeated presentation of an eliciting stimulus...
situations, to show that over multiple exposures to the same and a different image, the infant gradually exhibited a preference for the novel stimulus. The researcher could now estimate an infant’s discriminatory and perceptual capability by showing different images in highly controlled situations, often within a stagelike box, and observing what changes in the scenarios the infant would perceive as novel.
The American Psychological Foundation has instituted the annual Robert Frantz Memorial Award for research in "perceptual-cognitive development and the development of selective attention"; and also "development of individuality, creativity, and free-choice of behavior."