VISUAL EXPERIENCE IN INFANTS: DECREASED ATTENTION TO FAMILIAR PATTERNS RELATIVE TO NOVEL ONES.

A complex visual pattern presented for ten successive 1-minute exposure periods was fixated progressively less than comparable novel stimuli by infants 2 to 6 months old. This indicates the occurrence of recognition and habituation of visual responsiveness to specific patterns, and suggests that familiarization with the environment begins through visual exploration before more active exploration is possible.