Feeding-based arousal effects on visual recognition memory in early infancy

Author(s): Gardner, G. M., Karmel, B. Z.

Journal/Book: Develop Psychol. 1999; 35: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA. Amer Psychological Assoc. 640-650.

Abstract: Arousal effects on a 1-trial visual recognition paired-comparison task were studied at newborn, I-month, and 4-month test ages. Infants were tested before and after feeding, with arousal assumed to be lower after feeding. Newborns and 1-month-olds shifted from a familiarity preference before feeding to a novelty preference after feeding. A control group tested only after feeding confirmed that this shift was not due to increased stimulus exposure from the prefeeding test. By 4 months, infants showed novelty preferences independent of feeding. This age by arousal interaction-for recognition memory extends previous knowledge by including endogenous arousal with-age, stimulus, and length of exposure as contributors to familiarity-novelty preferences. It also extends and provides converging evidence for arousal effects on visual attention in early infancy found previously with preferential looking. A shift from subcortical to cortical dominance is supported.

Note: Article Gardner GM, New York State Inst Basic Res Dev Disabil, Dept Infant Dev, 1050 Forest Hill Rd, Staten Isl,NY 10314 USA

Keyword(s): DEVELOPMENTAL-CHANGES; NOVELTY PREFERENCES; MODULATED ATTENTION; TEMPORAL FREQUENCY; COCAINE EXPOSURE; PRETERM INFANTS; STIMULI; INFORMATION; PERFORMANCE; INTENSITY

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