Leaf It to the Babies: How Infants Explore 2D and 3D Stimuli

This project investigates how infants perceive and interact with two-dimensional (2D) vs. three-dimensional (3D) objects. Infants are presented with either images of objects (2D) or real objects (3D) and are encouraged to explore them through touch (within-subjects). The study also examines the role of social information as each infant is shown either negative social information present or social information absent conditions (between-subjects). Behavioral responses are coded to compare interaction patterns across object dimensionality (2D vs. 3D) and social information conditions (present vs. absent). We hypothesize that infants will be more likely to touch 2D images than 3D objects as 2D representations may not trigger avoidance responses. In addition, we predict that infants will touch objects less frequently when negative social information is present. This study contributes to understanding how infants use perceptual cues to guide safe exploration in their environment.