1-056 - A closer look at infant eye gaze: exploring ecological influences on attention dynamics in typical and atypical development

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

In developmental research, infant eye gaze is used to assess various aspects of early cognition. While many paradigms evaluate infant looking time as a measure of preference or learning, recent work has begun to characterize the rich microstructure of gaze dynamics in complex scenarios, both in traditional laboratory paradigms as well as during live social interactions. By capturing high-density measures of gaze simultaneously with dynamic features of infants’ internal and external ecology, we can begin to unravel the mechanisms that contribute to individual differences in attention in both typical and atypical development. Each contribution in this symposium highlights the influence of a different ecological factor on gaze activity, ranging from stimulus salience and neurobiological arousal to social interactions. Paper one tests a neurobiological model indicating that arousal pathways dynamically modulate infant looking in laboratory paradigms. Paper two then explores how these pathways might mediate the impacts of social interactions on infant gaze in naturalistic contexts. Next, papers three and four examine how individual differences in gaze dynamics can help to elucidate mechanisms underlying atypical developmental trajectories. Paper three investigates the role of low-level physical saliency in determining gaze allocation in complex scenes between high-risk (autism) and typical infants, while paper four compares gaze patterns between 18-36 month-olds at risk for autism and typical infants during a semi-structured social interaction. By characterizing differences in early gaze activity within these diverse ecological contexts, these contributions provide new insights into potential mechanisms impacting attentional outcomes in typical and atypical development.

Sub Unit

• Attention, Learning, Memory

Chairs

• Gina Marie Mason, Cornell University

• Kaya de Barbaro, Georgia Institute of Technology

Individual Presentations

• Changing arousal levels dynamically modulate infant attention and learning - Presenting Author: Kaya de Barbaro, Georgia Institute of Technology; Sam Wass, School of Psychology, University of East London; Kaili Clackson, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge

• Using infant eye gaze to explore the neurobiology of social influences on early attention development - Presenting Author: Gina Marie Mason, Cornell University; Michael H. Goldstein, Cornell University

• The influence of low-level visual salience as a marker of emerging ASD in infancy - Presenting Author: Luke Mason, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK; Tim J. Smith, Birkbeck, University of London; Sam Wass, School of Psychology, University of East London; Teodora Gliga, Birkbeck College, University of London; Tony Charman, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Mark H. Johnson, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

• At risk infants look less to faces but show typical patterns of gaze modulation in social interactions - Presenting Author: Agata Rozga, Georgia Institute of Technology; Clay Washington, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology; Chanel A. Bridges, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology; Audrey M. Southerland, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology; Allison Wu, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology; Kaya de Barbaro, Georgia Institute of Technology