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An Integrated Perspective on Spatio-Temporal Attention and Infant Language Acquisition

Author

Listed:
  • Sofia Russo

    (Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy)

  • Giulia Calignano

    (Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy)

  • Marco Dispaldro

    (Regionale Beratungs- und Unterstützungszentren (ReBUZ), 28213 Bremen, Germany)

  • Eloisa Valenza

    (Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy)

Abstract

Efficiency in the early ability to switch attention toward competing visual stimuli (spatial attention) may be linked to future ability to detect rapid acoustic changes in linguistic stimuli (temporal attention). To test this hypothesis, we compared individual performances in the same cohort of Italian-learning infants in two separate tasks: (i) an overlap task, measuring disengagement efficiency for visual stimuli at 4 months (Experiment 1), and (ii) an auditory discrimination task for trochaic syllabic sequences at 7 months (Experiment 2). Our results indicate that an infant’s efficiency in processing competing information in the visual field (i.e., visuospatial attention; Exp. 1) correlates with the subsequent ability to orient temporal attention toward relevant acoustic changes in the speech signal (i.e., temporal attention; Exp. 2). These results point out the involvement of domain-general attentional processes (not specific to language or the sensorial domain) playing a pivotal role in the development of early language skills in infancy.

Suggested Citation

  • Sofia Russo & Giulia Calignano & Marco Dispaldro & Eloisa Valenza, 2021. "An Integrated Perspective on Spatio-Temporal Attention and Infant Language Acquisition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-20, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1592-:d:495522
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