Full Attention Location Biases in Image Processing in Young Children

Recent research has demonstrated that adults have a bias to attend to the tops of objects and the bottom of scenes when analyzing visual stimuli. However, no research has examined the presence of this bias in children. Children should be studied to glean information on the origins and purposes of this bias. The current study tested two general hypotheses: (i) children exhibit visual biases for the tops of objects and bottoms of scenes, and (ii) the magnitudes of children's biases do not differ from adults. To test these, participants were shown triptychs (trios of pictures) of either scenes or objects. The trials included (52) natural scene triptychs, and (48) natural object triptychs. The middle picture was an original and the left and right showcased either the top or bottom half of the original combined with the corresponding bottom or top half of a similar but different picture. Participants (N = 50, Ages 4-7) were asked whether the middle image matched the left or the right more strongly. The outcomes of this project confirmed our first hypothesis that children exhibit visual biases and our second hypothesis that they are the same magnitude as adults’. These findings can be used to bolster educational environments and possibly develop treatment programs.