ABSTRACT
Previous research established that infants and young children show a preference for auditory input over visual input. In this research, we hypothesize that young children are flexible attenders, and they may shift their modality preference under different stimuli conditions. The results from the current experiments support the hypothesis that very simple changes in visual stimuli yield attentional shifts in 4-year-olds. Understanding how changes in auditory and visual information influence shifts in attention at various points in development may provide an important tool for understanding lexical and conceptual development.
