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Who Leads and Who Follows? The Pathways to Joint Attention During Free-Flowing Interactions Change Over Developmental
M Perapoch Amadó1, E A M Phillips1,2, G Esposito1
1University of East London, London, UK.
Child Development
|February 18, 2025
Summary
Joint attention (JA) skills develop significantly in infants aged 5 to 15 months. Infants become more adept at initiating and responding to shared attention, improving dyadic communication.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Behavior
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Joint attention (JA) is crucial for cognitive and social development.
- Limited understanding of JA's naturalistic establishment and progression in early infancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze developmental changes in joint attention (JA) during infancy.
- To determine if infants improve as leaders or followers in JA.
- To explore the influence of intentional communication on JA.
Main Methods:
- Observation of 48 mother-infant dyads during naturalistic tabletop toy play.
- Infants assessed at 5 and 15 months of age.
- Analysis of JA episodes, initiations, and attention-directing behaviors.
Main Results:
- JA episodes increased in frequency and duration with age.
- Infant and mother initiations of JA became more balanced.
- Older infants showed enhanced ability to lead and follow attention, with minimal impact on episode organization.
Conclusions:
- Joint attention skills show significant development between 5 and 15 months.
- Infants become more active participants in shared attention.
- Dyadic interaction patterns in JA evolve naturally during early development.
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