What does the term 'preferential looking' imply about an infant's sensory abilities?

The term 'preferential looking' refers to a research method used to assess infants’ sensory and perceptual capabilities, particularly in the realm of vision. When researchers observe how long an infant looks at different visual stimuli, they can infer that infants tend to look longer at stimuli that they find more interesting or different from other stimuli.

Choosing the correct answer highlights that infants possess the ability to recognize and differentiate between various visual stimuli. This concept indicates that they are not only capable of perceiving their environment but also have preferences based on visual characteristics. Such preferences showcase an underlying cognitive ability to process and discriminate between different types of visual information, affirming that infants have a level of sensory discrimination that would suggest cognitive engagement with their surroundings.

In contrast, the other options suggest limitations or lack of ability in infants, which does not align with what research on preferential looking has shown about their capacity to recognize differences among visual stimuli. This understanding is crucial for developing insights into cognitive and sensory development during infancy.