DISCRIMINABILITY OF FORM AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN

The ability of young children to discriminate accurately forms which varied in complexity, line type, and structure was investigated. Variations in complexity or number of sides, in form perimeter from linear to curvilinear to combined linear-curvilinear, and in structure from symmetrical to asymmetrical (compact-dispersed) were increasingly difficult to discriminate as measured by both errors and latency of response. Sex and IQ were unrelated to performance. It was found that nursery, kindergarten, and first grade children were all above chance in performance, older children being superior. The relations of these data to developmental perceptual theory are discussed. © 1970.