ABSTRACT
Charles Darwin (1877) noted that shortly after birth visual fixation by his son, Doddy, could only be attracted by the flickering of a candle. We now know that newborn infants can also fixate upon static stimuli. However, we also know that movement is a highly captivating stimulus and that infants much prefer to fixate moving over stationary objects (Burnham, 1980, Burnham & Day, 1979; McKenzie & Day, 1976; Volkmann & Dobson, 1976; Wilcox & Clayton, 1968). Except in special experimental situations, movement is only evident when something moves. Relying as it does on objects for its perceptual manifestation, how does movement influence object perception? This question is especially important with regard to infants for whom it seems that movement is such a prepotent stimulus and for whom the distinction between an object and the manner in which it moves may not be as clear-cut as for adults. It is also of interest because its investigation throws light on some general issues relevant to the development of object perception.
