New research using experimental and brain imaging tools has shown that there is an association between caregiver and child cognition. Researchers from the University of Nottingham's School of Psychology examined infant visual cognition—important for how they navigate the world around them, engage with objects, and learn new concepts. The team explored whether caregiver cognitive functions would be associated with infant visual cognition.
The research has been published in the journals Infant Behavior and Development and Infant and Child Development . About 90 families from East Midlands area who had infants between the ages of 6 and 10 months took part in the study in the Infant and Toddler Lab in the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham. During their visit, both caregivers and their infants participated in experimental tasks while the researchers measured their behavioral responses and brain function using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
In this technique, caregivers and infants wear caps with sensors that shine near-infrared light to measure brain function. Infants and caregivers were presented with colorful, changing shapes on a TV screen and researchers examined how they both looked at and switched their gaze between the shapes. Caregivers also completed an inhibitory control task (how they respond to some stimuli and inhibit their response to others) and questionnaires that assessed how they regulated their behaviors.
The team found that .
