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September 27, 2007Study on Joint Attention Has Implications for Understanding Autism |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: This capability involves social cognition (the cognitive processes involved in social interaction) and makes a significant contribution to the foundations for language development, as well as social competence. Joint attention is vital to social competence at all ages: Children and adults that are unable to follow engage and react to joint attention may forever be impaired in their capacity for relatedness and relationships. In fact, clinical research indicates that autism is characterized by chronic, pronounced impairments in initiating joint attention. In other words, autistics show a lack of spontaneous sharing experiences with others. Mundy also points out that individual differences in joint attention are related to the intensity of social symptoms, responsiveness to interventions, and long-term social outcomes in children with autism. The concept of joint attention is a bit more complicated than just following others' gaze; it requires the integration of several networks in the brain. Even though it is a vital skill, scientists know surprisingly little about the development of joint attention. The second type involves paying attention to the self and is regulated by a different network of neurons. Interestingly, communication between brain regions, especially those implicated in initiating joint attention, is one of the main cognitive impairments of autism. Current Directions in Psychological Science publishes concise reviews on the latest advances in theory and research spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications. For a copy of the article "Attention, Joint Attention, and Social Cognition" and access to other Current Directions in Psychological Science research findings, please contact Catherine West at 202-783-2077 or cwest@psychologicalscience.org.
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