Chapter 14 - Development of Covert Orienting in Young Infants

Abstract

Adults can shift attention to different regions of space without moving their eyes, that is, covert orienting of attention. Covert orienting implies that information processing may occur for stimuli in peripheral locations. The purpose of this chapter is to review evidence that in the first six months of life, infants are able to shift attention throughout space covertly. These studies show that there is an increasing efficiency from birth to six months with which infants shift spatial attention. Some cortical areas that may be involved in the development of spatial attention are suggested. The analysis of the cortical bases of the covert orienting effects suggests that specific brain areas may be identified that also show development and that form the basis for the changes in covert orienting seen in infants in this age range.