Joint attention

Joint attention is a social interaction in which two people attend to the same object or event while coordinating their attention to each other.

Gaze following: The behavior of shifting attention in the direction another person is looking. Following another person’s gaze can bring both people’s attention to the same object.
Infant social cognition: The mental processes through which infants perceive, interpret, and learn from other people. Joint attention is an early form of social coordination studied in infancy.
Autism spectrum: A neurodevelopmental spectrum characterized by differences in social communication and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior. Differences in joint attention are often studied in relation to autistic development.
Parallel play: A form of play in which children play beside one another without directly coordinating their activities. Children can attend to similar objects without coordinating attention with each other.
Pointing gesture: A gesture that directs attention toward a person, object, or location. Pointing can establish a shared focus even when gaze alone is ambiguous.
Social cognition: The mental processes involved in perceiving, interpreting, and responding to other people. Shared attention depends on interpreting another person’s gaze, gestures, and intentions.
Early intervention: Support provided to young children to address developmental needs during early childhood. Some interventions aim to support shared attention and social communication.
Shared attention: Two or more people attending to the same object or event, with the degree of social coordination left unspecified. The phrase can describe common focus without requiring the mutual coordination central to joint attention.
Eye contact: Mutual visual attention between two people who look at each other’s eyes. Eye contact helps coordinate attention between the social partner and the shared focus.
Imitation: The reproduction of another person’s actions or behavior. Imitating a partner’s attention can help infants learn what is worth noticing.

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