12.4.2: Attention
- Page ID
- 233043
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Describe the phases of attention development during infancy and toddlerhood.
- Define habituation and dishabituation.
- Explain the roles of habituation and dishabituation in cognitive processing.
- Discuss how attention development supports other domains of learning.
Attention is one of the foundational cognitive skills that emerges in infancy and continues to develop throughout early childhood. In the first two years of life, attention undergoes rapid changes, shifting from reflexive responses to more controlled and sustained focus. Understanding how infants and toddlers allocate their attention provides insight into their learning processes, information processing, and emerging self-regulation skills.
Phases of Attention Development
Research suggests that attention in infancy and toddlerhood progresses through distinct phases:
- Orienting (0–3 months): Newborns primarily exhibit reflexive attention, automatically turning toward stimuli such as bright lights or sudden noises. This is driven by the brainstem and subcortical structures, which are responsible for basic survival responses.
- Sustained Attention (3–12 months): Around three months, infants begin showing an increase in sustained attention. They can hold their gaze on an object for longer periods, particularly when engaged in novel or stimulating activities. During this stage, the prefrontal cortex begins to exert more influence over attention, although it remains immature.
- Control and Flexibility (12–24 months): In the second year of life, toddlers develop more control over their attention. They can voluntarily shift attention between objects and activities and are starting to filter out distractions, an ability known as selective attention. However, the amount of time selective attention can be maintained varies from child to child and increases as they age.
Habituation and Dishabituation
A key process in early attention development is habituation and dishabituation—mechanisms that help infants regulate their engagement with stimuli. Habituation occurs when an infant’s response to a repeated stimulus decreases over time, indicating that they have processed the information and no longer find it novel. This allows infants to allocate attention efficiently, focusing on new or important stimuli rather than redundant information. Dishabituation occurs when an infant’s attention is renewed in response to a change in the stimulus, signaling that they detect something new or different. Researchers use habituation-dishabituation paradigms to study infant perception and cognitive processing, as these reactions indicate an infant's ability to recognize, compare, and categorize information in their environment.
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\). Father is looking at his baby. Image by Helena Lopes is licensed by Pexels.
Factors that Influence
Several factors influence attention development in infancy and toddlerhood.
- Parental interaction plays a crucial role in shaping early attention skills. Responsive caregivers who engage in joint attention—such as following an infant’s gaze, pointing out objects, or labeling items—help strengthen attentional control and support language acquisition. Infants who frequently engage in joint attention episodes tend to develop stronger cognitive and social skills.
- Stimulus complexity also affects attention; infants prefer stimuli that strike a balance between novelty and familiarity. If a stimulus is too simple, they lose interest quickly due to habituation, but if it is too complex, they may become overstimulated and disengage.
- Neurological maturation further supports attention development, as the prefrontal cortex and cognitive control networks gradually improve an infant’s ability to regulate and sustain focus. However, executive control over attention remains limited in toddlerhood and continues developing throughout early childhood.
Attention as a Foundation for Learning
The ability to sustain and regulate attention is a foundational skill for early learning and development. Language acquisition is heavily dependent on attentional skills, as infants must focus on caregivers’ speech patterns and gestures to learn words and meanings. Research suggests that infants who engage in frequent joint attention interactions with caregivers tend to exhibit more advanced language skills later in childhood. Memory formation also benefits from sustained attention, as infants who focus longer on objects or events are more likely to encode and retrieve that information later. Additionally, problem-solving and cognitive flexibility are supported by attentional control, as toddlers who can persistently focus on a task tend to be more successful in exploring solutions and adapting to challenges. Overall, attention in infancy and toddlerhood lays the groundwork for later executive function, self-regulation, and academic achievement, making it a key aspect of early cognitive development.
References, Contributors and Attributions
Mundy, P., & Newell, L. (2007). Attention, joint attention, and social cognition. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(5), 269–274.
Tomasello, M., & Farrar, M. J. (1986). Joint attention and early language. Child Development, 57(6), 1454–1463