Richard Held and Alan Hein’s research on movement-produced stimulation (MPS) was groundbreaking in its exploration of the role of visual experience and motor development in the emergence of perception. Their experiments demonstrated the importance of active exploration and movement in the development of vision, and challenged traditional views of perception as a passive process. This paper will examine the key findings of Held and Hein’s research and their impact on our understanding of visual development.
Background
At the time of Held and Hein’s experiments, there was a long-standing debate in the field of psychology about the nature of perception and its relationship to sensory experience. One prevailing view, known as the nativist view, held that perception was largely innate and pre-determined, and that sensory experience played a secondary role. Another view, known as empiricism, argued that perception was shaped entirely by sensory experience and learning.
The Experiments
Held and Hein’s experiments focused on the development of visual perception in infants. They observed that infants are highly active and spend a great deal of time exploring their environment through movement. This led them to question the traditional view of perception as a passive process, and to hypothesize that visual experience is actively constructed through movement.
To test this hypothesis, they designed a series of experiments in which infant monkeys were fitted with special goggles that contained prisms. The prisms shifted the visual field, causing the monkeys to see objects in a slightly different position than they actually were. The monkeys were then trained to reach for objects while wearing the prisms.
Results
Held and Hein found that the monkeys were able to adapt quickly to the prism-induced visual shift, and were able to reach accurately for objects despite the altered visual field. Moreover, they found that the monkeys’ ability to adapt to the prism-induced shift was enhanced when they were allowed to move and explore their environment.
Based on these findings, Held and Hein proposed that movement-produced stimulation was a crucial factor in the development of visually guided behavior. They argued that the active exploration of the environment through movement plays a central role in the formation of visual perception.
Implications
Held and Hein’s research had significant implications for our understanding of perception and the development of vision. Their findings challenged traditional views of perception as a passive process and highlighted the importance of active exploration in the formation of visual perception. The research also had practical implications for the treatment of visual disorders such as amblyopia, or “lazy eye.” Held and Hein demonstrated that the active use of the affected eye, through movement and exploration, could lead to improvements in visual acuity.
The research also had implications for our understanding of motor development. Held and Hein argued that the development of motor skills was closely linked to the development of perception, and that active movement and exploration were critical in the formation of both. This perspective has since been integrated into contemporary theories of development, which emphasize the importance of embodied experience in shaping cognition and perception.
Conclusion
Held and Hein’s research on movement-produced stimulation was groundbreaking in its demonstration of the importance of active exploration and movement in the development of visual perception. Their findings challenged traditional views of perception as a passive process and highlighted the crucial role of sensory-motor integration in the emergence of perceptual abilities. Their work also had practical implications for the treatment of visual disorders and has had a lasting impact on our understanding of perception and development.