Influences of information processing and disengagement in infants' looking behaviour

Abstract

The present study considers the joint influences of information processing and disengagement in looking behaviour within a habituation paradigm. Six-month-old infants were habituated, during which their heart rate (HR) was measured. A parametric model of habituation yielded for each infant parameter estimates of their habituation performance. These parameters were interpreted as assessing information processing and disengagement. Corresponding measures were obtained from the HR data. The HR measures and habituation model parameter estimates were significantly correlated, as predicted. In addition, an attention getter, presented prior to each habituation trial, influenced indicators of information processing, but not of disengagement. Results confirmed the advantages of a modelling approach. In addition, and more importantly, findings led to the conclusion that both information processing as well as disengagement are involved in infants' looking behaviour in visual habituation.

The comparator model of infant visual habituation and dishabituation: Recent insights

“…According to these findings, infant fixation behavior during habituation reflects stimulus encoding (sustained attention) as well as inhibitory processes (attention termination). Domsch, Lohaus, and Thomas (2010a) confirmed these results with infants 6 months of age. Domsch et al (2010a) and Domsch, Lohaus, and Thomas (2010b) also found that an attention-getter, an attractive stimulus which redirects the infant's attention to the stimulus display, shown before each habituation trial elicited an orienting response and a heart rate decrease.…”

“…According to these findings, infant fixation behavior during habituation reflects stimulus encoding (sustained attention) as well as inhibitory processes (attention termination). Domsch, Lohaus, and Thomas () confirmed these results with infants 6 months of age.…”

“…Domsch et al () and Domsch, Lohaus, and Thomas () also found that an attention‐getter, an attractive stimulus which redirects the infant's attention to the stimulus display, shown before each habituation trial elicited an orienting response and a heart rate decrease. As a consequence, the infants were already in the state of sustained attention when the habituation stimulus was presented.…”

Disentangling the mechanisms underlying infant fixation durations in scene perception: A computational account

“…Whilst some of these models have investigated different aspects of visual orienting in infancy (Carlson & Triesch, 2004;Schlesinger, Amso, & Johnson, 2007;Domsch et al, 2010;Sirois & Mareschal, 2002; for a review see Mareschal, 2010), to date no computational model has attempted to explain the specific mechanisms underlying saccadic control in infancy.…”

Visual habituation and dishabituation in preterm infants: A review and meta-analysis

“…An alternative interpretation, disengagement theory (Colombo, 1995, 2002), suggests that, rather than reflecting infants’ increasing capability of stimulus encoding, duration of looking at a stimulus display reflects infants’ increasing ability to disengage from a stimulus. Recent research suggests that both stimulus encoding and disengagement contribute to the overall age-related decrement in duration of looking observed during the first year of life (Colombo, Richman, Shaddy, Greenhoot, & Maikranz, 2001; Colombo, Shaddy, Richman, Maikranz, & Blaga, 2004; Domsch, Lohaus, & Thomas, 2008; for a discussion, see Kavšek, in preparation). …”