A–Z Glossary

Orienting reflex

An automatic response where a baby turns or shifts attention toward a noteworthy sound or stimulus.

← Back to A–Z Glossary

Search results for: Orienting reflex

Why babies turn toward voices

Why babies turn toward voices

Newborns are biologically prepared to orient toward sound Babies do not arrive in the world as passive listeners. From the first days of life, the auditory system is already capable of detecting changes in the environment, and classic newborn studies show that infants orient toward sound by turning their heads. This is often described as […]