ABSTRACT
While there is strong evidence for frontal cortex involvement in studies of adult attentional abilities, memory processes, and emotional mood, only recently have we begun to consider this cortical area as an intricate component of infant development. This chapter examines the recent evidence implicating frontal cortex in a variety of infant behaviors. The first section is a brief overview of evidence for development of the frontal cortex during the first 12 months of life. The second section is an examination of the evidence for frontal involvement in a specific behavior, the A-not-B task. Behavioral neuroscience work on this Piagetian task, as well as our own electrophysiological work is highlighted, along with the proposition that left frontal cortex may play a specific role in A-not-B performance.
