A developmental psychologist investigated early social interaction markers in young children. She compared a sample of 14 young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and 14 neurotypical children matched for mental age. During a standardized observation, a mechanical puppy suddenly began barking in the corner of the room. The researcher pointed to the puppy, smiled, and exclaimed, "Look at the puppy!". She recorded whether each child followed her gaze and gesture to look at the puppy, and then looked back at her to share their amusement. The children with ASD rarely looked back at the researcher to share the experience, whereas the neurotypical children did so frequently.
Using your knowledge of the development of social cognition, explain what is meant by a deficit in joint attention. Refer to this investigation in your answer.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Cognition and development with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 100 questions covering Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, Baillargeon's early infant abilities, and Development of social cognition, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.