| Title: |
Staying and Returning Dynamics of Young Children's Attention |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Jaeah Kim (ORCID 0000-0002-0462-086X); Shashank Singh; Catarina Vales; Emily Keebler; Anna V. Fisher (ORCID 0000-0002-6661-7922); Erik D. Thiessen |
| Source: |
Grantee Submission. 2023 26. |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
25 |
| Publication Date: |
2023 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Institute of Education Sciences (ED); National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) |
| Contract Number: |
R305B150008; 1451706 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: |
Young Children; Attention; Child Behavior; Cognitive Processes; Age Differences; Geographic Location; Memory; Accuracy |
| DOI: |
10.1111/desc.13410 |
| ISSN: |
1467-7687 |
| Abstract: |
In this paper, we decompose selective sustained attending behavior into components of continuous attention maintenance and attentional transitions and study how each of these components develops in young children. Our results in two experiments suggest that changes in children's ability to return attention to a target locus after distraction ("Returning") play a crucial role in the development of selective sustained attention between the ages of 3.5-6 years, perhaps to a greater extent than changes in the ability to continuously maintain attention on the target ("Staying"). We further distinguish Returning from the behavior of transitioning attention away from task (i.e., becoming distracted) and investigate the relative contributions of bottom-up and top-down factors on these different types of attentional transitions. Overall, these results (a) suggest the importance of understanding the cognitive process of transitioning attention for understanding selective sustained attention and its development, (b) provide an empirical paradigm within which to study this process, and (c) begin to characterize basic features of this process, namely its development and its relative dependence on top-down and bottom-up influences on attention. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| IES Funded: |
Yes |
| Entry Date: |
2025 |
| Accession Number: |
ED663817 |
| Database: |
ERIC |