Persistence of Orllnting and Attending Benavior in Nfants as a Function of Stimulus-Locus Uncertainty

Persistence of orienting and attending behavior was measured in 80 infants who played a peek-a-boo game under three experimental conditions varying in degree of uncertainty as to where the peek-a-boo face would appear on each trial. Predictions that the greatest degree of persistence in playing the game would be (a) positively associated with high uncertainty, (b) unrelated to the amount of exposure time to the peek-a-boo face, and (c) unrelated to affect states measured by expressive behaviors were confirmed. The findings were discussed in terms of various theories postulating conflict, surprise, frustration, affect-aroused drive reduction, stimulus satiation, and head-turning reinforcement. It was concluded that stimulus and response uncertainty, as viewed in terms of partial reinforcement, and the response-instigating effects of unexpected events, as represented by a disparity between expectancy and stimulus outcome, best account for the elicitation and maintenance of curiosity behavior.