A
seven day old baby will follow a finger moved in front of
its face or follow a shiny object dangling from a chain. But
how much detail does he actually take in? Can a baby actually
see the hands and the numbers on the dangling watch, for example?
Babies under four weeks old
can apparently see in enough detail to make out the pattern
with the widest stripes shown below. By about six months, however,
their sight has developed sufficiently for them to be able to
see the pattern with the fine stripes, just as an adult can.
Not only can babies see patterns
from a very early age and can tell the difference between patterns
and solid blocks of colour but studies have also shown that
the more complex the pattern, the better. Studies that test
this by presenting babies with pairs of different patterns,
have revealed that babies as young as one week old prefer to
look at a complex pattern rather than a simple one. Babies showed
a unanimous preference for a pattern with concentric circles
or a checkerboard patern compared to a more simple pattern containing
a single cross, circle or triangle.
Blankets, clothes
and toys that are highly patterned will not only stimulate a
baby’s sight but will also keep them interested.
