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Adaptive actions of young infants in the task of reaching for objects
Author(s) -
Rocha Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira,
de Campos Ana Carolina,
Silva Fernanda Pereira dos Santos,
Tudella Eloisa
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.21026
Subject(s) - affordance , psychology , object (grammar) , movement (music) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , trajectory , developmental psychology , rigidity (electromagnetism) , typically developing , movement control , task (project management) , cognitive psychology , computer science , artificial intelligence , medicine , engineering , philosophy , physics , structural engineering , systems engineering , astronomy , autism , aesthetics
Abstract Although several studies have investigated how movement trajectory and arm/hand configuration are adjusted to environmental affordances, the influence of specific object properties on early adjustments has not been studied. In this study, we aimed to determine the combined effect of object size and rigidity on reaching movements in young infants. Sixteen typically developing infants were assessed at 4, 5, and 6 months of age. The infants were presented with four objects: two soft and two rigid, which were either small or large. The results indicate that with age reaching movements became straighter, the arm control during the final phase was improved, and the grasping success increased. Object size and rigidity collectively influenced the proximal adjustments, grasping, adjustment time, and the number of movement units. The results suggest that early in the infants are able to modify their movement strategies based on object affordances. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 55: 275–282, 2013