Caitlin Stevens|Brittni Lauinger|Helen J. Neville
Differences in the neural mechanisms of selective attention in children from different socioeconomic backgrounds: an event?related brain potential study
University of Oregon|Willamette University|University of Oregon|University of Oregon
abstract previous research indicates children lower socioeconomic backgrounds show deficits aspects attention including reduced ability filter irrelevant information suppress prepotent responses however less known neural mechanisms group differences attention could reveal stages processing attention deficits arise present study examined question using eventrelated brain potential erp measure selective auditory attention thirtytwo children aged 3 8 years participated study children cued attend selectively one two simultaneously presented narrative stories stories differed location leftright speaker narration voice malefemale content erps recorded linguistic nonlinguistic probe stimuli embedded attended unattended stories children whose mothers lower levels educational attainment college experience showed reduced effects selective attention neural processing relative children whose mothers higher levels educational attainment least college differences occurred 100 milliseconds probe onset furthermore differences related specifically reduced ability filter irrelevant information ie suppress response sounds unattended channel among children whose mothers lower levels education data provide direct evidence differences earliest stages processing within neural systems mediating selective attention children different socioeconomic backgrounds results discussed context intervention programs aimed improving attention selfregulation abilities children atrisk school failure