WHY DOES INFANT ATTENTION PREDICT ADOLESCENT INTELLIGENCE

Ninety-three 18-year-olds were tested with measures thought to tap inf ormation processing, sustained attention, executive function, and inte lligence. The visual fixation patterns and home rearing conditions of these adolescents, born preterm, had been observed in early infancy. I nfant fixation durations were negatively associated with information p rocessing, executive function, and intelligence scores but did not pre dict ability to sustain attention. Continuity between infant attention and adolescent intelligence was moderated by qualities of the home en vironment so that ''short-looking infants'' whose caregivers vocalized a great deal had mean intelligence quotients that were 20 points high er than ''long-looking infants'' with less vocal caregivers. The resul ts suggest that at least some of the continuity between infant attenti on and adolescent intelligence stems from infant capacities to process information efficiently and to inhibit prepotent responses and that t his continuity is affected by caregiver responsiveness.