The Longitudinal Relationship between Infants’ Responding to Joint Attention and Preschoolers’ Delays in Gratification
AUTHOR : 김연수,곽금주
INFORMATION : page. 61~75 / 2014 Vol.21 No.4
ABSTRACT
The current study investigated the longitudinal relationship between infants’ response to joint attention and
preschoolers’ delay in gratification among 72 children. The response to joint attention (RJA) was observed
through the Early Social Communication Scale at 9, 12, and 15 months. Children’s delay in gratification
was evaluated at 4 years old. The response to joint attention in infancy was significantly correlated with
strategies in the delay in gratification. Infants who responded more to the researcher’s initiated joint
attention at 9, 12, and 15 months were found to gaze more at objects, which were used to distract
attention from the reward during delay of gratification. In particular, infants who responded more to the
researcher’s initiated joint attention at 15 months were able to delay their gratification for a longer period
of time. The present study implied the development of self-regulatory ability during infancy and
early childhood. These observations are discussed based on the developmental theory of attention regulation
and joint attention in infancy.