Do Facial Masks Impact Infants' Joint Attention? A Within‐Participant Laboratory Study

Bibliographic Data

ID16782898
AuthorsStephanie Wermelinger (0000-0002-6500-9108, University of Zurich, corresponding author), Lea Moersdorf (0000-0002-1800-7388, University of Zurich), Charlotte Baldenweg (University of Zurich), Moritz M Daum (0000-0002-4032-4574, University of Zurich)
Year2025
Volume30
Issue1
Pagese12640-e12640
Publication date2025-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInfancy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1525-0008 • E-ISSN: 1532-7078
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/infa.12640
PMID39614638
OpenAlexW4404885326
LanguageEN
References cited15

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, children were repeatedly confronted with people wearing facial masks. Little is known, however, about how this affected young children's interactions with their caregivers. This preregistered experimental within‐participants study explored whether facial masks influence young children's initiation and response to joint attention. Using two structured tasks and one free‐play task, we measured joint attention episodes in interactions of 12‐ to 15‐month‐old Swiss infants with one of their caregivers during the pandemic. In one experimental condition, the caregivers wore a facial mask; in the other, they did not. The results show no significant differences in infants' joint attention between the two conditions. Infants may have interacted with their caregivers wearing facial masks enough previously not to be influenced by masks; alternatively, even with a partially covered face, a person provides enough information via eyes and other body parts that help infants to guide their attention

Developmental psychology · Face masks · Facial expression · Joint attention · Pandemic · Child and Animal Learning Development · Communication · Face Recognition and Perception · Medicine · Multisensory perception and integration · Psychology

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