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Cognitive development: Looking for perceptual awareness in human infants
Aleksandra A W Dopierala1, Lauren L Emberson1
1Psychology Department, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Current Biology : CB
|April 12, 2022
Summary
New research shows young infants possess consciousness, evidenced by the attentional blink. This early awareness, however, evolves as infants mature.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Perception
Background:
- The level of consciousness in human infants remains a significant area of debate.
- Understanding infant awareness is crucial for developmental and neurological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of consciousness in young human infants.
- To determine if infants exhibit the attentional blink, a key indicator of perceptual awareness.
- To explore how infant consciousness changes with age.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the attentional blink paradigm to assess perceptual processing in infants.
- Observed behavioral responses indicative of attentional processing.
Main Results:
- Infants demonstrated the attentional blink, a signature of conscious awareness.
- The manifestation and characteristics of the attentional blink varied with infant age.
Conclusions:
- Human infants exhibit a form of consciousness, detectable through the attentional blink.
- Infant consciousness is not static but undergoes developmental changes.
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