The importance of eyes: how infants interpret adult looking behavior.

Full Abstract

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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Author information

Author/s: Brooks, Rechele (R); Meltzoff, Andrew N (AN);

Affiliation: Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7920, USA. recheleb(-atsign-)u.washington.edu

Grants: HD-07391 (Agency:United States NICHD) ; HD-22514 (Agency:United States NICHD) ; R37 HD022514-14 (Agency:United States NICHD)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Developmental psychology (Dev Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 38 (issue 6) : pp 958-66

Dates: Created 2002/11/13; Completed 2003/04/07; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12428707, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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