title: The integration of body movement and attention in young infants.
abstract: The normal development of adaptive behavior in humans depends on the integration of visual attention and body movement, yet little is known about the initial state of movement-attention coupling at the beginning of postnatal life. We studied 1- and 3-month-old infants during extended periods of visual exploration and found that spontaneous shifts of gaze are preceded by rapid changes in general body movement. The results reveal a tight link between motor activation and overt attention on a time scale of seconds or less. This link undergoes substantial developmental change in the first few weeks after birth. During that time, phasic motor activation may play a key role in visual exploration by helping to unlock gaze when the environment is unchanging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. ssr4@cornell.edu
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Bacher
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Huntington
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007699:Kinesthesis; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009949:Orientation; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012016:Reference Values; D014796:Visual Perception