39. What was the relationship between the length of time a sound was played and blinking light in Saffrans statistical learning experiment with infants?
Answer: B
The infants looked at the light longer when a whole word was presented.
In Saffran's statistical learning experiment with infants, it was observed that the infants paid more attention to the blinking light when a whole word was played, indicating a relationship between the length of time a sound was played and the infants' visual attention.
A) The infants ignored the light when a whole word was presented.
This option is incorrect because the study found that infants actually looked at the light longer when a whole word was presented, rather than ignoring it. This indicates their increased interest and engagement with the whole word compared to other stimuli.
B) The infants looked at the light longer when a whole word was presented.
This option is correct as the study demonstrated that infants exhibited greater visual attention to the blinking light during the presentation of a whole word, suggesting that their engagement was influenced by the auditory stimulus.
C) The infants looked at the light longer when a partial word was presented.
This option is incorrect because the findings showed that attention was heightened with whole words, not partial words. Infants did not demonstrate the same level of interest in the blinking light when only partial words were played.
D) The infants ignored the light when a partial word was presented.
This option is also incorrect, as it implies that there was no engagement with the light during partial words. While the focus was on whole words, it does not necessarily mean that infants completely ignored the light when partial words were presented.
Conclusion
The correct answer is definitively right because it aligns with the observed behavior of infants in the experiment, where they showed increased attention to the light when a whole word was played. All other options fail to accurately reflect the relationship established in the study, which highlighted the significance of whole words in capturing infants' attention compared to partial words.