Richards, J.E. (2003). Development of attentional systems. In M. De Haan & M.H. Johnson (Eds.), The cognitive neuroscience of development. East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press
The development of visual attention depends on developmental changes in the brain areas controlling attention. Some models are reviewed that hypothesize parallel developmental changes in visual attention and the brain, particularly in human infants. The applicability of these models is examined with experiments using psychophysiological measures (electroencephalogram (EEG), event-related potentials (ERP), heart rate) that are controlled by the hypothesized brain areas. This chapter emphasizes the need for using relatively direct measures of brain activity in addition to behavioral measures in the empirical examination of neurodevelopmental models of visual attention.