Focused attention as a new sitter: How do infants balance it all?

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of postural control on infants’ Focused Attention (FA). Study 1 examined whether and how sitting independently versus with support impacted 6- to 8-month-old infants’ ability to focus attention during object exploration. FA measures did not depend on support condition. However, sitting experience was significantly negatively correlated with FA measures in the supported condition, suggesting that infants with more sitting experience performed fewer exploratory movements, possibly due to faster information processing ability compared to infants with less sitting experience. These unexpected findings prompted an exploration of more subtle looking behaviors during FA in Study 2—a case study of three infants who wore a head-mounted eye-tracker during an FA task. The ability to rapidly shift visual attention was key to gathering environmental information useful for problem solving—an interpretation that is supported by prior findings of the relationship between fast looks and faster information processing.