Development of Children's Intermodal and Intramodal Auditory-Visual Mode Functioning

Abstract

Intermodal and intramodal development in the auditory and visual sensory modes within a temporal dimension were investigated by testing 90 male and 90 female children who ranged in age from 5 to 13 yr. Auditory and visual stimuli were presented by electronic means in a same-different matching task. Four separate conditions were investigated: auditory-auditory, visual-visual, auditory-visual, and visual-auditory. An analysis of variance was conducted for two main effects, age and modality. Post hoc analysis was conducted on efficiency of sensory input mode. Modality functioning increased as a function of age until age 13 yr. Intramodal functioning was significantly more efficient than intermodal functioning. Efficiency of input mode varied as a function of age, though both auditory and visual mode efficiency followed similar developmental trends. Intermodal and intramodal development appeared to follow similar trends, with a child's inter- and intramodal functioning becoming more similar after 10 yr. Results are interpreted in light of Birch and L. Belmont's (1965a) sensory integration hypothesis and Goodnow's (1971) hypothesis of the development of rules for efficient modal functioning.