DETERMINANTS OF INFANT VISUAL ATTENTION

拟议的研究分析了潜在的变化 婴儿视觉注意作为经验的一种功能 刺激。之前的研究已经证实，至少有两个 不同的过程相互作用，以决定注意反应： 记忆过程(习惯化)控制反应 递减，和一个唤醒过程(敏化)控制 瞬变响应增量。此外，已经建立了一个联系 在敏化过程和 图案的超阈值对比度。研究的四条途径 建议对这一分析进行扩展。第一个重点是 通过测试(A)敏化过程的一般性 敏化视觉刺激将增强对任何其他刺激的注意力 视觉刺激，以及(B)听觉刺激能否使人充满活力 视觉上的注意。第二条研究路线涉及到进一步的使用 用线性系统分析来研究刺激决定因素 敏化过程的一部分。婴幼儿视觉的“契合度” 能力和模式的刺激能量似乎是 关键变量；这种分析提供了一种强有力的方法来 视觉注意的个体发育变化。第三个研究领域 包括双过程分析在国外的几个应用 它最初的试验场。特别是，对(A)新颖性的研究 与熟悉度偏好的对比，以及(B)前 并提出了足月儿的注意反应。这个 这里检验的主要假设是敏化差异 对这两种现象都有贡献。最后，它的后果是 对学习和记忆的敏化也被考虑。 敏感化可以延长视觉注视时间，因此可能会改善 编码。幼儿视觉注意的双加工分析 这表明注意力的变化是经验的函数 不仅反映认知因素，而且反映感官-知觉和 激励因素。这些多重决定因素导致了 对一些现有数据的重新解释，并产生影响 对婴幼儿注意的临床和实际应用 范例。

The proposed research analyzes processes underlying changes in infant visual attention as a function of experience with a stimulus. Previous research has established that at least two separate processes interact to determine the attentional reaction: A memorial process (habituation) controlling response decrements, and an arousal process (sensitization) controlling transient response increments. Furthermore, a link has been established betweeen the sensitization process and the suprathreshold contrast of the pattern. Four avenues of research are proposed to extend this analysis. The first focuses on the generality of the sensitization process by testing (a) whether a sensitizing visual stimulus will enhance attention to any other visual stimulus, and (b) whether auditory stimulation can energize visual attention. The second line of research involves further use of the linear systems analysis to study the stimulus determinants of the sensitization process. The "fit" between infants' visual capabilities and the pattern's stimulus energy appears to be the crucial variable; this analysis offers a powerful approach to ontogenetic changes in visual attention. The third research area includes several applications of the dual process analysis outside its initial testing ground. In particular, studies on (a) novelty versus familiarity preferences, and (b) differences between pre- and full-term infants' attentional responses are proposed. The main hypothesis tested here is that sensitization differences contribute to both phenomena. Finally, the consequences of sensitization for learning and memory are considered. Sensitization prolongs visual fixation and may, therfore, improve encoding. The dual-process analysis of infant visual attention suggests that changes in attention as a function of experience reflect not only cognitive factors, but also sensory-perceptual and motivational factors. These multiple determining factors lead to re-interpretations of some existing data, and have implications for clinical and practical applications of infant attention paradigms.