What do infants typically show attraction to?

Infants typically show attraction to pleasant situations and demonstrate withdrawal from unpleasant stimulation. This behavior is rooted in their innate survival mechanisms. For example, when infants encounter stimuli that are associated with positive experiences, they are more likely to engage, such as smiling or cooing, which indicates a sense of comfort and safety. In contrast, unpleasant situations can elicit distress or withdrawal responses, reflecting their natural instinct to avoid harmful experiences.

While complex patterns and bright colors tend to capture an infant’s attention, this attraction is more nuanced and dependent on individual development and situational context. Similarly, social interactions are important as infants do have an innate interest in human faces and voices, but their primary response to stimuli revolves around the immediate assessment of comfort and distress. The notion that infants show no preference for stimuli does not align with observed behaviors; they clearly exhibit different responses based on the nature of stimuli they encounter.