Infants in Control--Evidence for Agency in 6- to 10-Months-Old Infants in a Gaze-Contingent Eye Tracking Paradigm

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Infants in Control--Evidence for Agency in 6- to 10-Months-Old Infants in a Gaze-Contingent Eye Tracking Paradigm
Language: English
Authors: Florian Markus Bednarski (ORCID 0000-0002-2459-6190), Katrin Rothmaler (ORCID 0000-0001-8588-7664), Simon M. Hofmann (ORCID 0000-0003-0958-501X), Charlotte Grosse Wiesmann (ORCID 0000-0003-2577-6174)
Source: Child Development. 2025 96(6):1968-1977.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Infants, Infant Behavior, Eye Movements, Self Control, Foreign Countries, Visual Stimuli, Adjustment (to Environment)
Geographic Terms: Germany
DOI: 10.1111/cdev.70022
ISSN: 0009-3920
1467-8624
Abstract: The ability to control movement is a core element of agency. Previous studies of infant agency have focused on responses to sensory contingencies but neglected the importance of infants' control as a necessary indicator of agency. Here, we test whether infants flexibly control their eye movements with a gaze-contingent eye tracking paradigm. Infants aged 6-10 months (N = 45, 18 female, recruited in a city of about 600.000 inhabitants in Germany in 2022) were presented images hidden under a unicolored surface, which they could scratch free by gazing over the screen. Results show that infants flexibly directed their gaze to areas with most information in the underlying image. This indicates that infants can flexibly adjust their gaze to changing circumstances.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/xrbzg/?view_only=d850802eaf404708b4e81660e88dff41
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1488477
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The ability to control movement is a core element of agency. Previous studies of infant agency have focused on responses to sensory contingencies but neglected the importance of infants' control as a necessary indicator of agency. Here, we test whether infants flexibly control their eye movements with a gaze-contingent eye tracking paradigm. Infants aged 6-10 months (N = 45, 18 female, recruited in a city of about 600.000 inhabitants in Germany in 2022) were presented images hidden under a unicolored surface, which they could scratch free by gazing over the screen. Results show that infants flexibly directed their gaze to areas with most information in the underlying image. This indicates that infants can flexibly adjust their gaze to changing circumstances.
ISSN:0009-3920
1467-8624
DOI:10.1111/cdev.70022