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Ipp Joint Attention-2

Joint attention involves two individuals sharing attentional focus on an object or event in the environment. It plays an important role in language development, as it allows a child and caregiver to coordinate attention and communicate intentionally about something in the world. Through joint attention, a child learns that a caregiver's signals refer to a specific target object or event. This creates optimal conditions for the child to learn new words by understanding the speaker's referent and correctly identifying it. Joint attention develops initially through face-to-face interactions and later involves coordinating attention to third objects or events. It provides a framework for intentional communication that supports word learning.

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142 views3 pages

Ipp Joint Attention-2

Joint attention involves two individuals sharing attentional focus on an object or event in the environment. It plays an important role in language development, as it allows a child and caregiver to coordinate attention and communicate intentionally about something in the world. Through joint attention, a child learns that a caregiver's signals refer to a specific target object or event. This creates optimal conditions for the child to learn new words by understanding the speaker's referent and correctly identifying it. Joint attention develops initially through face-to-face interactions and later involves coordinating attention to third objects or events. It provides a framework for intentional communication that supports word learning.

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Joint Attention & Language Development: 


By Megan Anderson 
─ 
Joint Attention 
Definitions  
Joint attention takes place when two people, for example a child and his/her 
caregiver, share attentional focus on interesting objects and events in their 
environment (Bakeman & Adamson, 1984).  
Social interactions in which the child and adult are jointly attending to some third 
object/thing, and to one another’s attention to that third thing (Degotardi, 2017). 
Joint attention describes a mutual 
mental focus between two or 
more individuals with the purpose 
of sharing an experience. The 
aspect that makes it particularly 
social is the intersubjective nature 
of the communicative exchange 
(Paparella & Kasari, 2004). 

What does it look like from the 


child? 
1. Attends to shared target 
with the speaker 
2. Understands speaker’s 
reference is intentional 
3. Concludes that the speaker 
is referring to the shared target  
(Moore et al., 1999) 

Example​: Child and caregiver are playing outside, caregiver looks up at sky and points at an 
airplane, child observes caregiver pointing and looking up, child looks up at airplane and 
understands that is what caregiver was referring to – together, they share joint attention to 
the airplane.  

 
 
2 
  

Language Development 
Communication development begins with nonverbal communication, prior to 
verbal communication (i.e. pointing to request something before verbally asking for 
it). The development of joint attention begins with face-to-face interactions 
between an infant and a caregiver, and characterizes the initial (0-5 month) phase 
of nonverbal communication development. At approximately 5 months of age, 
children begin to develop an interest in objects, at which point communication 
involves the coordination of the child’s and caregiver’s attention with respect to a 
third object or event.  
Theoretically, the ability to engage in joint attention lies within a framework of 
intentional communication. Communicative intent requires the ability to 
understand purposeful signals produced by others and to use expressive signals to 
affect the behavior of others.  
(Paparella & Kasari, 2004) 

In order to successfully learn a new word the child must understand that the 
speaker is referring to an object, situation, or event and must correctly identify 
what the object, situation, or event is. Joint attention accomplishes both of these 
actions, creating optimal conditions for learning a new word. Subsequently, joint 
attention is thought to be a necessary part of successful word learning (Scofield & 
Behrend, 2011). 

 
 
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References 

Bakeman, R., & Adamson, L. (1984). Coordinating attention to people and objects in mother- infant and peer-infant 
​ 278-1289. 
interaction. ​Child Development, 55, 1

Degotardi, S. (2017). Joint attention in infant-toddler early childhood programs: Its dynamics and potential for 
collaborative learning. C ​ ontemporary Issues in Early Childhood,​ ​18​(4), 409-421. 
doi:10.1177/1463949117742786 

Moore, C., Angelopoulos, M., & Bennett, P. (1999). Word learning in the context of referential and salience cues. 
Developmental Psychology​, 3
​ 5​, 60–68. 

Paparella, T., & Kasari, C. (2004). Joint attention skills and language development in special needs populations. 
Infants & Young Children,​ ​17​(3), 269-280. doi:10.1097/00001163-200407000-00008 

Scofield, J., & Behrend, D. A. (2011). Clarifying the role of joint attention in early word learning. ​First Language, 
31​(3), 326-341. doi:10.1177/0142723710395423 

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