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The Colors of Cortical Development

May 12, 2021

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Introduction

Child raising and rearing is a topic on which many studies have been conducted and

books have been published. The developmental stages have been researched in-depth to ensure

the upcoming generation has a solid basis for success due to the stimulus given during infancy to

fuel proper development. The stimuli that these infants are exposed to for all five senses make an

impact on nerve growth and connection (AskDrSears, 2013). At birth, vision is one of the least

developed of the senses, as infant retinas are not yet fully refined. As a female who will one day

have children of my own, understanding the effects of pattern and color contrast on the

development of infants will enable me and those around me to give my future children the tools

to build a solid foundation and guide others as well in creating a solid foundation of development

at an early age. They cannot distinguish between similar shades of colors, therefore the use of

black and white or highly contrasting colors is theorized to be more stimulating for infant

development (Ask Dr. Sears, 2013). One such study to test this statistic is the analysis on the

effects of color compared to the use of contrast when developing infant sounds.

A Sound Hypothesis

The purpose of this study is to observe the effect colored mobiles or black and white

mobiles have on infant sound development. This is a null hypothesis in which there is a neutral

outcome predicted (Tuckman 2012).

Mobilizing the Variables

The variable to be manipulated to cause a response is the independent variable (Tuckman

2012). In this study the independent variable is the color of the mobiles the infants will have in

their nurseries. The study will allocate infants into two independent groups. The first group will

be exposed to mobiles and visual stimuli in only black and white colors and patterns. The second
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group will have colorful mobiles hung in their cribs and will have colored images or patterns in

their nurseries as well. The categorical nature of these variables means that they would most

effectively be measured utilizing a nominal scale.

The dependent variable is the factor that is observed in response to the changes in the

independent variable (Tuckman 2012). The level of babbling that infants present in response to

the visual stimulus of the mobiles is the dependent variable. Infants of around 2 months of age

begin by cooing and crying as their form of communication. Infant babbling is defined as a

repetitive syllable and usually begins between 6 to 9 months old while first words are formed at

around 1 year of age (Healthline, 2018). Due to the variability of frequency and level of

babbling, a measurement standard must be decided upon. For this study, babbling will be

considered a repetitive utterance of a vowel and consonant sound. This will be denoted through a

binary scale of a yes or no.

As with any real world study, there are many variables that cannot be controlled. For this

study the controlled variable will include the age of the infants, with the target group beginning

at 2 months of age and follow them month by month until they reach one year. The infants will

be assigned a “no” for the month if they do not babble by that age and a “yes” for the month if

they do babble at that age.

A Colorful Analysis

Due to the categorical nature of the variables, a chi square test will be utilized to analyze

the study. This test examines two groups and their expected outcomes (Tuckman 2012). In this

study, the two groups are the colored mobile group and the black and white mobile group. The

observed outcome is the ability to babble at the expected age range of 6 to 9 months (Ask Dr.

Sears, 2013). The chi-square test is attempting to correlate whether or not the color of the mobile
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and the development of infant babbling are related. The degree of freedom for this analysis is

one because there are two possible categories for the infants to fall into. The resulting number

will tell the strength of correlation. A low number infers that the correlation between the two

variables is high, and a high number means the correlation is low (Statistics How To, 2021).

A Slight Spin

To slightly change the study above, the measurement of the dependent variable, babbling,

will change from a binary factor to an ordinal one. The new measurement will be to record the

frequency in minutes with which the infants repetitively verbalize sounds as a result of their

assigned group. With this adjustment, the new statistical analysis would be the Mann-Whitney U

test. This test is used when the independent variable is nominal and the dependent variable is

measured on an ordinal scale, which would be the case with this slight modification to the study

(Tuckman 2012). The two groups of color and black and white mobiles would still be the two

independent groups in which the infants are assigned, and they are unrelated as required by this

analysis. The conclusion defined by this test can simply be stated by comparing the medians of

the two groups of data with the expectation that the shape of the data is similar (Statistics How

To, 2021).

Conclusion

Research and innovation is how we move forward. The ability to understand the research

presented as well as why the data is presented in such a way enables us to interpret important

information. This is a vital skill in decision-making and managing businesses. The information

presented in the study above is one such example of the importance of research on how we

continue to make decisions for our lives and the lives of those around us. Giving infants the best

foundation for growth and development sets them up for success in the future. The simplicity of
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choosing nursery colors can make a significant difference in the nerve connections made during

infancy and the abilities of the leaders of the future (Ask Dr. Sears, 2013).
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References

Chi-Square Statistic: How to Calculate It/Distribution. Statistics How To. (2021, May 10).
https://www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/chi-square/.

Language Milestones: 0 to 12 months. Healthline Parenthood. (2018, June 12).

https://www.healthline.com/health/baby/language-milestones-0-to-12-
months#Significant-Language-Milestones.

Mann Whitney U Test: Definition, How to Run. Statistics How To. (2021, April 26).
https://www.statisticshowto.com/mann-whitney-u-test/.

Molemans, I., Van Den Berg, R., Van Severen, L., & Gillis, S. (2012). How to measure the onset
of babbling reliably? Journal of Child Language, 39(3), 523–552.
doi:10.1017/S0305000911000171

Tuckman, B.W. & Harper, B.E. (2012). Conducting educational research (6th ed.).
Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group

Visual Stimulation for Newborns. Ask Dr Sears. (2013, August 23).

https://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/child-rearing-and-development/bright-
starts-babys-development-through-interactive-play/playtime-articles/visual-stimulation-
newborns/.