Infant sensitivity to adult eye direction

Author(s): Muir, D. W.

Journal/Book: Child Develop. 1996; 67: 5720 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637. Univ Chicago Press. 1940-1951.

Abstract: Adult eye direction was manipulated while adults interacted with 3-6-month-olds over closed-circuit television (Experiment 1) or in person (Experiment 2). Infants received 4 1-min interaction periods. Fbr experimental groups, adult eye contact was maintained during Periods 1 and 3, and averted during Periods 2 and 4 (by viewing infants on a television monitor to maintain contingency). Control infants received eye contact during all periods. Experimental infants' smiling declined whenever adults looked away; their visual attention simply decreased across periods. Control infants showed little change in gaze or smiling across periods. The implications of these results for Baron-Cohen's model of infant theory of mind and Morton and Johnson's e-process theory of infant face perception are discussed.

Note: Article Hains SMJ, Queens Univ, Dept Psychol, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CANADA

Keyword(s): YOUNG INFANTS; COGNITIVE MECHANISMS; PERCEPTION; MINDS; BABY; READ

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