2016-03-07, Henning, Anne, Zmyj, Norbert, Bertin, Evelyn, Wong, Charlene, Striano, Tricia

2012-03, Möhring, Wenke, Libertus, Melissa E., Bertin, Evelyn

The speed of a moving object is a critical variable that factors into actions such as crossing a street and catching a ball. However, it is not clear when the ability to discriminate between different speeds develops. Here, we investigated speed discrimination in 6- and 10-month-old infants using a habituation paradigm showing infants events of a ball rolling at different speeds. The 6-month-olds looked longer at novel speeds that differed by a 1:2 ratio than at the familiar ones but showed no difference in looking time to speeds that differed by a 2:3 ratio. In contrast, the 10-month-olds succeeded at discriminating a 2:3 ratio. For both age groups, discrimination was modulated by the ratio between novel and familiar speeds, suggesting that speed discrimination is subject to Weber’s law. These findings show striking parallels to previous results in infants’ discrimination of duration, size, and number and suggest a shared system for processing different magnitudes.

2010-03-11, Schaub, Simone, Cacchione, Trix, Bertin, Evelyn

2010-03, Schaub, Simone, Kupferschmid, Alexia, Cacchione, Trix, Bertin, Evelyn

2015, Bertin, Evelyn, Küng, Marlis D., Buri, Annina, Neuenschwander, Markus, Müller, Charlotte, Amberg, Lucia, Dütsch, Thomas, Hildebrandt, Elke, Vogt, Florian, Wannack, Evelyne

2012-02, Möhring, Wenke, Cacchione, Trix, Bertin, Evelyn

We examined 18- and 24-month-old infants’ sensitivity to the functional relationships between time, speed, and distance. The task included a train moving first visibly and then into a tunnel. The movement of the train was always accompanied by a train-characteristic sound signalling the travel duration. After the train concluded its travel, infants were requested to search for it in two possible locations inside the tunnel. Infants’ reaching and head turn behavior indicated that 24-month-olds were sensitive to time–speed–distance interrelations, while 18-month-olds showed no such understanding. Reducing occlusion duration (by shortening the tunnel's length) revealed an increase in 18-month-olds’ reaching and anticipatory head turns. Results are discussed in terms of the developmental course of the understanding of time–speed–distance interrelations and the strength of infants’ representations.

2010-03, Schaub, Simone, Cacchione, Trix, Bertin, Evelyn

2013-04-18, Schaub, Simone, Bertin, Evelyn, Cacchione, Trix

2011, Cacchione, Trix, Möhring, Wenke, Bertin, Evelyn

2010-03, Wenke, Möhring, Cacchione, Trix, Bertin, Evelyn