Since the 1960s, developmental psychologists point to the “Visual Cliff”—an experiment that plops babies on a fake precipice—as proof that infants learn to fear heights as they learn to crawl. Yet, over the past 25 years, a series of rigorous (and adorable) experiments by Karen Adolph of NYU’s Infant Action Lab has shattered this myth, revealing that while babies can learn from experiences near high ledges or narrow bridges, it’s not a phobia they acquire.
Credits
Produced by Luke Groskin
Starring Derek Hough, Tessa Rose Confessore, and Clarabelle Kaufman
Music by Audio Network Footage
Stills Provided by Karen Adolph and the NYU Infant Action Lab,
Eleanor Gibson and R.D. Walk
KTCA Twin Cities Public Television
Ira Flatow
Glacier National Park (C.C. 3.0) Special Thanks to Dr. Karen Adolph, Justine Hoch, and Lana Karasik
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About Luke Groskin
@lgroskinLuke Groskin is Science Friday’s video producer. He’s on a mission to make you love spiders and other odd creatures.