Daniel Stern aimed to describe infant development and early interaction within the framework of cognitive psychology in his book The interpersonal world of the infant that was published in 1985. Some years later he wrote a charming book from the baby's point of view. I cite a passage from the second chapter of Diary of a baby. It is a vivid illustration of the Aristotelian theory of sense perception in a modern guise.
"At
six weeks of age, he [the baby] can see quite well, though not perfectly. He is already
aware of different colors, shapes, and intensities. And he has been born with
strong preferences about what he wants to look at, about what pleases him.
Among these preferences, intensity and contrast top the list. They are the most
important elements in this scene. A baby’s nervous system is prepared to evaluate
immediately the intensity of a light, a sound, a touch - of anything accessible
to one of his senses. (Daniel Stern (1990), Diary of a baby, p. 18)"
