How babies' natural attention and social motivation shape focus on their caregivers
Longitudinal investigation of endogenous and social-motivational predictors of infants' attention to caregivers
This project looks at whether infants' internal attention patterns and interest in social cues help them pay attention to their caregivers, especially in families affected by autism or maternal depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11294159 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will follow infants and their caregivers over time to watch how babies shift their gaze and how long they look at people versus other things. Visits will include short, child-friendly tasks and eye-tracking or observational measures to separate attention orienting (turning toward something) from attention holding (staying focused). The team will compare infants with different caregiver experiences, including those with maternal depression and infants later diagnosed with autism, to see how social motivation relates to attention. Families can expect several lab visits at Tulane and brief interactions that are safe and designed for infants.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are infants (early months of life) and their caregivers, including families with a history of autism or caregiver depressive symptoms.
Not a fit: Older children, teens, and adults would not directly benefit from this infant-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help design earlier, more targeted supports to strengthen attention and learning in infants at risk for autism or affected by caregiver depression.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has shown links between caregiver social reward and infants' attention holding, but combining attention orienting with social-motivational factors in early infancy is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
New Orleans, United States
- Tulane University of Louisiana — New Orleans, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Markant, Julie Christina — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Markant, Julie Christina
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.