Infant attention and the development of smooth pursuit tracking

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 20, 2026

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior
07:09

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Published on: November 14, 2018

J E Richards1, F B Holley

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 29208, USA. richards-john@sc.edu

Developmental Psychology
|June 25, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Infant attention significantly impacts eye movement development. Sustained attention in infants correlates with improved smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements, crucial for visual tracking.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Infant visual tracking abilities develop significantly in the first few months of life.
  • The role of attention in coordinating eye movements is not fully understood in early development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between attention and the development of smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements in infants.
  • To determine how attentiveness influences visual tracking performance across different stimulus speeds and ages.

Main Methods:

  • Infants aged 8, 14, 20, and 26 weeks were studied.
  • A moving rectangular target was presented horizontally or vertically.
  • Heart rate was recorded to assess attention levels.

Main Results:

  • Overall tracking ability, smooth pursuit gain, and saccade amplitude increased with age.
  • Infants better maintained smooth pursuit at higher speeds as they aged.
  • Attentive infants increasingly shifted to saccadic tracking at maximal stimulus velocities.

Conclusions:

  • Infant smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements develop in tandem with sustained attention.
  • Attentional state modulates the strategy used for visual tracking in developing infants.

More Related Videos

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm06:07

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm

Published on: May 15, 2019

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking09:47

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking

Published on: July 9, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Vision During Infancy and Toddlerhood01:23

Vision During Infancy and Toddlerhood

At birth, vision is the least developed of the major senses because the visual system is still structurally and neurologically immature. The retinas, optic nerves, and visual regions of the brain continue to mature after birth. As a result, newborns have limited visual acuity, or sharpness and clarity of vision, and respond best to objects viewed at close range, roughly 8 to 12 inches away.Rapid Visual DevelopmentVision improves rapidly during the first few months as infants observe and...
Perceptual Development During Infancy01:30

Perceptual Development During Infancy

Perceptual development enables infants to organize and interpret sensory information, helping them understand objects, distances, and surfaces in their environment. Two important aspects are depth perception and haptic perception. These abilities develop as infants gain sensory experience and their nervous systems mature.Development of Depth PerceptionDepth perception is the ability to see objects and surfaces in three dimensions and judge their relative distance. Infants gradually learn to use...
Development of Head Control During Infancy01:05

Development of Head Control During Infancy

The control of head posture and movement is an important early milestone in motor development. During the first four months of life, infants gradually learn to stabilize and move their heads against gravity. Head control depends on the gradual strengthening and coordination of the neck, shoulder, and upper trunk muscles.Early Head MovementsAt birth, infants have limited control over their heads because their neck muscles are still weak. While lying on their backs, newborns can usually turn...
Hand Control During Infancy and Toddlerhood01:31

Hand Control During Infancy and Toddlerhood

Hand movements during infancy and toddlerhood develop from broad, relatively uncontrolled actions into increasingly precise fine motor skills. This progression depends on nervous system maturation, improved muscle control, and repeated interaction with objects. Early reflexive movements gradually give way to intentional reaching, grasping, object manipulation, and tool use.Early Grasping SkillsNewborns show a strong palmar grasp reflex, automatically closing their fingers when the palm is...
Early Reflexes During Infancy01:26

Early Reflexes During Infancy

Early reflexes are automatic, involuntary responses to specific stimuli and provide information about neurological development during infancy. Some reflexes are present at birth or appear soon afterward. Known as primitive reflexes, they support early survival and adaptation.Primitive ReflexesPrimitive reflexes help newborns respond to their environment before voluntary motor control develops. The rooting reflex causes an infant to turn toward stimulation near the mouth, helping the infant...
Hearing During Infancy and Toddlerhood01:29

Hearing During Infancy and Toddlerhood

Hearing begins developing before birth. Fetuses respond to sounds in the womb through changes in brain activity, heart rate, and body movements, showing sensitivity to auditory stimulation. After birth, hearing continues to develop rapidly, supporting language learning and environmental awareness.Auditory Acuity and Sound LocalizationAuditory acuity refers to the ability to detect sounds. Newborns are especially responsive to human voices and can detect many speech sounds, although their...