Auditory-Visual Coordination in Neonates

Abstract

Neonatal oculomotor behavior was observed under various conditions of visual and auditory stimulation. In 1 experiment babies were observed tracking a moving visual target with their eyes. Such tracking was uninfluenced by the addition of sound to the visual target, nor was it disrupted by the presence of a stationary auditory stimulus. The presentation of a moving auditory stimulus alone was not sufficient to elicit reliable tracking responses. In a second experiment, neonates failed to show ocular orientation toward a laterally presented sound. These findings are interpreted as illustrating the relative independence of auditory and visual perception during the neonatal period.