The ontogenesis of an auditory localization response from birth to four months of age.

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Abstract
Research on the early development of auditory localization responses is reviewed and the existence of a U-shaped developmental function is described. Many newborns turn towards off-center sound sources reliably at birth and will perform well for approximately the 1st mo. of life, poorly during the 2nd and 3rd mo., and well again during the 4th mo. This trend was confirmed in 3 of 4 infants who were tested extensively throughout their early months. The 4th baby failed to show reliable orientation towards sounds until the 4th mo. During the period of temporary performance decrement, attempts to reinstate reliable responding by either introducing meaningful acoustic stimuli or eliminating possible auditory-visual conflicts were not successful. Potential explanations for this temporary decline in auditory orientation responses are discussed.

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