Degree Name

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

Program

Psychology

Date of Award

8-2019

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Wallace Dixon Jr.

Committee Members

Eric Sellers, Alyson Chroust, Jon Ellis

Abstract

Research investigating associations between joint attention and language development have thus far only investigated joint attention by way of visual perceptions while neglecting the potential effects of joint attention engaged through other sensory modalities. In the present study, I aimed to investigate the joint attention-language development relationship by investigating the possible links between joint haptic attention and language development, while also exploring the likely contributions of joint visual attention through a mediation analysis. Using video recordings from an archival dataset, measures of joint haptic attention and joint visual attention were derived from behavioral tasks, and measures of vocabulary development were attained from a caregiver reported measure. Analyses revealed that joint haptic attention was associated with joint visual attention, and that joint visual attention was related to language development; however, there were no significant associations between joint haptic attention and language development. Study limitations, future directions, and conclusions are discussed.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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