Infant gaze following depends on communicative signals: An eye-tracking study of 5- to 7-month-olds in Vanuatu.

ABSTRACT: Gaze is considered a crucial component of early communication between an infant and her caregiver. When communicatively addressed, infants respond aptly to others' gaze by following its direction. However, experience with face-to-face contact varies across cultures, begging the question whether infants' competencies in receiving others' communicative gaze signals are universal or culturally specific . We used eye-tracking to assess gaze-following responses of 5- to 7-month olds in Vanuatu, where face-to-face parent-infant interactions are less prevalent than in Western populations. We found that-just like Western 6-month-olds studied previously-5- to -7-month-olds living in Vanuatu followed gaze only, when communicatively addressed. That is, if presented gaze shifts were preceded by infant

SUBMITTER: Hernik M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6618848 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature