Abstract
30 boys and 30 girls, 6 yr. old, participated in a study assessing the influence of the visual patterns of moving objects and their respective backgrounds on the prediction of objects' directionality. An apparatus was designed to permit modified spherical objects with interchangeable covers and backgrounds to move in three-dimensional space in three directions at selected speeds. The subject's task was to predict one of three possible directions of an object: the object either moved toward the subject's midline or toward a point 18 in. to the left or right of the midline. The movements of all objects started at the same place which was 19.5 ft. in front of the subject. Prediction time was recorded on 15 trials. Analysis of variance indicated that visual patterns of the moving object did not influence the prediction of the object's directionality. Visual patterns of the background behind the moving object did not influence the prediction of the object's directionality except during the conditions of a light nonpatterned moving object. It was concluded that visual patterns of the background and that of the moving object have a very limited influence on the prediction of direction.
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