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Mutual Gaze During Early Mother–Infant Interactions Promotes Attention Control Development
Author(s) -
Niedźwiecka Alicja,
Ramotowska Sonia,
Tomalski Przemysław
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12830
Subject(s) - disengagement theory , gaze , psychology , developmental psychology , visual attention , attentional control , cognition , attention span , child development , joint attention , cognitive development , autism , neuroscience , medicine , gerontology , psychoanalysis
Efficient attention control is fundamental for infant cognitive development, but its early precursors are not well understood. This study investigated whether dyadic visual attention during parent–infant interactions at 5 months of age predicts the ability to control attention at 11 months of age ( N = 55). Total duration of mutual gaze (MG) was assessed during free play at 5 months, while infant attention control was measured in a gap‐and‐overlap task at 5 and 11 months. MG predicted attention disengagement at 11 months. Infants who spent more time in MG at 5 months showed better attention control at 11 months. These results provide important insights into developmental pathways linking visual behavior in dyadic interactions with infants’ subsequent attention skills.