Early Social Experience and Individual Differences in Infants' Joint Attention

Abstract

Fifty-nine healthy infants were filmed with their mothers and with a researcher at two, four, six and nine months in face-to-face play, and in toy-play at six and nine months. During toy-play at both ages, two indices of joint attention (JA)-infant bids for attention, and percent of time in shared attention-were assessed, along with other behavioural measures. Global ratings were made at all four ages of infants' and mothers' interactive style. The mothers varied in psychiatric history (e.g., half had experienced postpartum depression) and socioeconomic status, so their interactive styles were diverse. Variation in nine-month infant JA-with mother and with researcher-was predicted by variation in maternal behaviour and global ratings at six months, but not at two or four months. Concurrent adult behaviour also influenced nine-month JA, independent of infant ratings. Six-month maternal behaviours that positively predicted later JA (some of which remained important at nine months) included teaching, conjoint action on a toy, and global sensitivity. Other behaviours (e.g., entertaining) negatively predicted later JA. Findings are discussed in terms of social-learning and neurobiological accounts of JA emergence.

Közös figyelem, atipikus anyai viselkedés és kötődés

“…Így aktív figyelem hiányában nem észlelte a gyermek érdeklődését, megszakíthatta a gyermek tevékenységét, aki az inszenzitív viselkedés hatására visszavonult a közös játéktól (Gaffan, Martins, Healy & Murray, 2010), vagy más tárggyal kötötte le magát. A gyakori kezdeményezés önmagában tehát nem biztosítja a csecsemő jobb elköteleződését egy közös tevékenységben, az anyának érdemes figyelemmel kísérnie a csecsemő fogékonyságát, s így megfelelően időzítheti egy új viselkedési állapot indítását, amellyel a tárgy mindkettőjük fókuszába kerül.…”

Metodologias de avaliação do desenvolvimento da cognição social da infância até à idade pré-escolar

“…Vários autores têm identificado marcos sócio-cognitivos desde a infância até ao final da idade pré-escolar, salientando-se, entre eles, a atenção partilhada no final do primeiro ano de vida (Bakeman & Adamson, 1984;Carpenter, Nagell, & Tomasello, 1998;Gaffan, Martins, Healy, & Murray, 2010); o jogo simbólico social emergente cerca dos 3 anos (Bretherton & Beeghly, 1982;Rakoczy, 2008;Youngblade & Dunn, 1995); e a teoria da mente que se consolida entre os 4 e 5 anos de idade (Hughes, Jaffee, Happé, Taylor, Caspi, & Moffitt, 2005;Wellman, Cross, & Watson, 2001;Wimmer, & Perner, 1983).…”

“…Existe igualmente flexibilidade quanto ao contexto das interacções, podendo ser em ambiente naturalista ou laboratorial, embora o primeiro ofereça uma oportunidade de avaliação mais rica e interessante do ponto de vista desenvolvimental. No entanto, não podemos ignorar uma questão relevante -sendo a atenção partilhada uma forma de interacção social, o parceiro com o qual o bebé interage assume uma enorme importância (Gaffan et al, 2010). O comportamento do parceiro social poderá assim influenciar a responsividade bem como a iniciativa dos bebés em partilhar a atenção Trevarthen, 1979).…”

Joint attention with the mother and the father at 10 months of age

“…To study these behaviors, infant-tester paradigms have been developed (e.g., Mundy et al, 2007;Sheinkopf et al, 2004) under the assumption that those might maximize individual differences in infants' joint attentional abilities (Vaughan et al, 2003). However, infant-caregiver interaction paradigms have also been developed and used in the past decade (Gaffan, Martins, Healy, & Murray, 2010;Martins, 2003;Meins et al, 2011;Osório et al, 2011). Assessing joint attention skills in interaction with a significant social partner (e.g., the mother) may provide important data on infant's optimal capacity to engage in triadic interactions.…”

“…Assessing joint attention skills in interaction with a significant social partner (e.g., the mother) may provide important data on infant's optimal capacity to engage in triadic interactions. Moreover, motherinfant paradigms address the study of the contributions of the relational context to infants' individual differences in joint attention (e.g., Gaffan et al, 2010;Mundy & Sigman, 2006;Osório et al, 2011). Indeed, previous investigations have highlighted how mothers may "scaffold" infants' Running Head: JOINT ATTENTION WITH THE MOTHER AND THE FATHER 4 early joint attention behaviors, for instance, by showing, talking about, or performing actions on an object (e.g., Bakeman & Adamson, 1984;Gaffan et al, 2010;Vaughan et al, 2003).…”