MATERNAL FACILITATION OF JOINT ATTENTION IN INFANTS’ SECOND YEAR OF LIFE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NATURALISTIC AND STRUCTURED CONTEXTS

Abstract

Joint attention, foundational for early development, shows rapid advancement between 12 and 18 months. Social partners can facilitate joint interactions through Attention-Directing Strategies (ADS). While previous research on the dyadic interplay of joint attention has often used standardized settings, this study examines the relationship between ADS and Infant Engagement States (IES) in natural and structured play conditions. Thirty-one mother-infant dyads, with infants aged 12, 18, and 24 months, completed a multi-part home visit, including a one-hour natural interaction and a 5-minute structured play. Five-minute segments from both contexts were coded for IES and ADS. Cross-lag sequential analysis examined time-dependent relationships between ADS and IES. Two-way ANOVAs were employed to examine differences in behavior across age groups and conditions. All study procedures, including research questions, hypotheses, and analyses, were preregistered. Results indicated that Introducing had negative sequential associations with both forms of joint attention. Maintaining significantly preceded Coordinated Joint Engagement (CJE) at a three-second lag in all age groups, only in natural play [Q(12m)= 0.32, Q(18m)= 0.32, Q(24m)= 0.31]. In structured play, Redirecting was the most likely predictor of Supported Joint Engagement (SJE) and CJE for all ages. Additionally, 24-month-olds displayed more SJE and less Solo Play than 12-month-olds. These findings provide insight into how maternal ADS and environment influence infant engagement, highlighting a context-dependent nature of the effectiveness of ADS. Maintaining, characterized by sustained focus on the infant\u27s object of attention, significantly predicted CJE in natural play. Whereas, Redirecting, involving shifting the infant\u27s attention to a new object, was most effective in eliciting joint attention in structured play. Furthermore, this study highlights developmental changes in engagement within the second year of life, with older infants displaying more supported joint engagement