Does Attention Sharing Support Attention Focusing? Investigating the Link Between Infants' Sustained Attention and Joint Attention With Caregivers

Abstract

Sustained attention in infancy is a known predictor of executive functions, self-regulation, and language. This study investigated the relationship between 9-to 16-month-old infants' sustained attention and joint attention in mother-infant dyads. Data were collected from 98 infants (M(SD) = 11.8(1.3) months) and their mothers. Results showed that joint attention during mother-infant play significantly predicted sustained attention during solo play, after accounting for infant age and socioeconomic status. These cross-sectional findings suggest that joint attention may play a role in supporting sustained attention, though the directionality of this relationship warrants further longitudinal investigation.