INFLUENCE OF 6 TYPES OF VISUAL STRUCTURE ON COMPLEXITY JUDGMENTS IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS

41 kindergartners, 24 2nd graders, 24 4th graders, 24 6th graders, and 36 college students made pair-comparison judgments of visual complexity. The influence of the presence or absence of 6 types of visual structure (double symmetry, vertical symmetry, horizontal symmetry, diagonal symmetry, checkerboard organization, and rotational organization) and amount of contour were examined. Two general developmental trends were revealed: First, the age at which visual structure initially affected complexity judgments varied with the type of structure, independent of amount of contour, within the range of contour values used. Second, there was a uniform increase in the effect of structure on complexity judgments between the 4th and 6th graders. Results are discussed in relation to possible mechanisms of visual pattern encoding and complexity judgment. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.