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Animacy and propulsion in infancy: Tracking, waving and reaching to self‐propelled and induced moving objects
Author(s) -
Crichton Margaret T.,
LangeKüttner Chris
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7687.00077
Subject(s) - animacy , movement (music) , object (grammar) , biological motion , psychology , communication , trajectory , computer vision , action (physics) , artificial intelligence , motion (physics) , cognitive psychology , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , astronomy , acoustics
Infants from 16 to 20 weeks were videotaped while being presented with objects traversing a 60 cm distance. Four conditions were tested: (1) induced movement, holding the object; (2) induced movement, pushing the object; (3) self‐propelled mechanical movement, object moving by an internal clockwork; (4) self‐propelled biological movement, animate object moving by internal impulse. In tracking, the self‐propelled but inanimate and mechanically moving object with the more straight and predictable trajectory attracted most visual attention. In arm movements, the self‐propelled but relatively unpredictably moving animate object was reliably distinguished from inanimate objects. It appeared that the action system was less dependent on objects taking a straight and predictable course. Emerging with the onset of goal‐directed reaches, the distinction of an internal locus of propulsion in objects was overriding the nearly exclusive response towards animacy occurring in waving. Thus, a distinction of different types of object motion could be found in infants’ developing action system.