Citation

Pollack RH. Acta Psychol. 1960; 17: 417-423.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1960, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A cross-sectional developmental study of the frequency of figural after-effects from childhood to adulthood has been carried out to test the developmental hypothesis deriving from the theory of cortical satiation and to show the actual pattern of chronological development of this phenomenon. Two types of figural after-effect were studied, one involving a size change and the position of a figure. Although the hypothesis indicated by the satiation concept has not been confirmed significant changes in the frequency of occurrence of the figural after-effect with age have been demonstrated. The complete function comprises a decline in frequency from about 4-6 yrs. to 9-10 yrs. followed by a factual increase up to 24 yrs. and over.The results suggest that a notion of a single underlying process as postulated by the satiation hypothesis must be rejected. An explanation in terms of a change with age in the processes underlying the figural after-effect has been put forward.