Developmental Psychology · 2002 · 358 citations · 47 references
MedicinePsychologyVision ScienceDevelopmental PsychologyVisual DevelopmentVisual PerceptionDevelopment Of Visual AttentionEye ContactEye Movement AnalysisGaze PerceptionInfant DevelopmentOcular DevelopmentEye Gaze Behavior
Two studies examined 12-, 14-, and 18‑month‑old infants’ gaze following by manipulating whether adults could see targets, using open versus closed eyes in Experiment 1 and a blindfold versus headband in Experiment 2. Infants looked more at the adult’s target when the adult’s eyes were open, and 14‑ and 18‑month‑olds looked more in the headband condition, showing sensitivity to eye status and interpreting adult looking as object‑directed.
Two studies assessed the gaze following of 12-, 14-, and 18-month-old infants. The experimental manipulation was whether an adult could see the targets. In Experiment 1, the adult turned to targets with either open or closed eyes. Infants at all ages looked at the adult's target more in the open- versus closed-eyes condition. In Experiment 2, an inanimate occluder, a blindfold, was compared with a headband control. Infants 14- and 18-months-old looked more at the adult's target in the headband condition. Infants were not simply responding to adult head turning, which was controlled, but were sensitive to the status of the adult's eyes. In the 2nd year, infants interpreted adult looking as object-directed--an act connecting the gazer and the object.
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