Infant visual responses to pattern: which metric predicts best?

Visual fixations were recorded in newborn, 4-, and 8-week old human infants as they scanned displays that varied along several dimensions. These displays were designed to evaluate four metrics that have been theorized to control infant visual preference: Contour length, size, number, and a new metric, CVAL, based on Contour Variability, Amount, and Location. This latter metric reflects characteristics of the visual system that other metrics ignore. Both contour length and CVAL separately accounted for approximately 95% of looking-duration variance, a much larger portion than the other metrics considered; however, CVAL accounted for more looking variance than contour length when the number of lines and contour length were deconfounded, and uniquely accommodated a large orientation effect. Finally, several predictions were confirmed about characteristics of visual scanning. Retinal structure and natural scanning dispositions should be considered in accounts of infants' reactions to visual stimuli.