Ashley Ross
The Tummeltshammer and Amso (2018) paper investigated whether 6- and 10-month-
olds rapidly acquire contextual knowledge to guide attention during visual search tasks because
of their sensitivity to co-variation in spatial arrays (Tummeltshammer & Amso, 2018). This was
explored using an eye tracking experiment. The results tell us that these infants were able to
distinguish between old and new contexts while also exhibiting faster search times and less
looking at distracters, as well as, showing more anticipation of targets when the contexts were
repeated (Tummeltshammer & Amso, 2018). This paper tells us about infant attention and
learning by showing that infants use top-down information to facilitate orienting during memory-
guided visual search tasks (Tummeltshammer & Amso, 2018).
The Colombo et al. (1991) paper investigated with 4-month-olds if “short lookers”
attentional benefits are from last processing or featural processing (Colombo et al., 1991). The
experiment used a timed featural discrimination visual task and a timed global discrimination
visual task (Colombo et al., 1991). This paper found that the “short lookers” were always able to
discriminate featural and global visual tasks, no matter the length of time provided and the “long
lookers” were only able to discriminate global visual tasks unless given longer time to
discriminate featural visual tasks (Colombo et al., 1991). This tells us about infant attention and
learning by showing that ‘long’ and ‘short’ looking patterns are a product of processing speed
rather than the ability to distinguish between either featural or global (Colombo et al., 1991).
This tells us that “short lookers” are more efficient processors and “long lookers” are able to
process featural information as long as they have more time to do so (Colombo et al., 1991).
Citations
Colombo, J., Mitchell, D. W., Coldren, J. T., & Freeseman, L. J. (1991). Individual differences in
infant visual attention: Are short lookers faster processors or feature processors? Child
Development, 62(6), 1247. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130804
Tummeltshammer, K., & Amso, D. (2017). Top-down contextual knowledge guides visual
attention in infancy. Developmental Science, 21(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12599
The Tummeltshammer and Amso (2018) paper investigated whether 6- and 10-month-
olds rapidly acquire contextual knowledge to guide attention during visual search tasks because
of their sensitivity to co-variation in spatial arrays (Tummeltshammer & Amso, 2018). This was
explored using an eye tracking experiment. The results tell us that these infants were able to
distinguish between old and new contexts while also exhibiting faster search times and less
looking at distracters, as well as, showing more anticipation of targets when the contexts were
repeated (Tummeltshammer & Amso, 2018). This paper tells us about infant attention and
learning by showing that infants use top-down information to facilitate orienting during memory-
guided visual search tasks (Tummeltshammer & Amso, 2018).
The Colombo et al. (1991) paper investigated with 4-month-olds if “short lookers”
attentional benefits are from last processing or featural processing (Colombo et al., 1991). The
experiment used a timed featural discrimination visual task and a timed global discrimination
visual task (Colombo et al., 1991). This paper found that the “short lookers” were always able to
discriminate featural and global visual tasks, no matter the length of time provided and the “long
lookers” were only able to discriminate global visual tasks unless given longer time to
discriminate featural visual tasks (Colombo et al., 1991). This tells us about infant attention and
learning by showing that ‘long’ and ‘short’ looking patterns are a product of processing speed
rather than the ability to distinguish between either featural or global (Colombo et al., 1991).
This tells us that “short lookers” are more efficient processors and “long lookers” are able to
process featural information as long as they have more time to do so (Colombo et al., 1991).
Citations
Colombo, J., Mitchell, D. W., Coldren, J. T., & Freeseman, L. J. (1991). Individual differences in
infant visual attention: Are short lookers faster processors or feature processors? Child
Development, 62(6), 1247. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130804
Tummeltshammer, K., & Amso, D. (2017). Top-down contextual knowledge guides visual
attention in infancy. Developmental Science, 21(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12599
