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Desynchronization in EEG during perception of means‐end actions and relations with infants' grasping skill
Author(s) -
Yoo Kathryn H.,
Can Erin N.,
Thorpe Samuel G.,
Fox Nathan A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
british journal of developmental psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2044-835X
pISSN - 0261-510X
DOI - 10.1111/bjdp.12115
Subject(s) - psychology , perception , electroencephalography , competence (human resources) , grasp , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , neuroscience , social psychology , computer science , programming language
The current study examined age‐related differences in electroencephalogram ( EEG ) activity during perception of means‐end actions and production of grasps, and how EEG activity may relate to infants' motor competence. We collected data from 9‐ and 12‐month‐old infants during perception of means‐end actions made with a tool and during execution of their own grasps. We computed event‐related desynchronization ( ERD ) during perception and production events and assessed infants' reach‐grasp competence by looking at their latency to complete grasps. Although we found greater ERD during perception of means‐end actions in 9‐month‐olds compared with 12‐month‐olds, we found the relation between ERD during perception and emerging reach‐grasp competence to be specific for 12‐month‐olds and not for 9‐month‐olds. These results provide evidence for an emerging neural system that supports the coupling of action and perception with infants' emerging motor competence in the first year of life.