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Developmental changes in the response to obstacles during prehension
J R Tresilian1, M Mon-Williams, V L Coppard
1Perception and Motor Systems Laboratory, School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Journal of Motor Behavior
|February 26, 2005
Summary
Children exhibit significant obstacle avoidance behaviors, even when obstacles are distant. This contrasts with adults, whose obstacle avoidance diminishes with increased distance, highlighting developmental differences in spatial processing and motor control.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Motor control
- Cognitive neuroscience
Background:
- Adults skillfully navigate cluttered environments, demonstrating effective obstacle avoidance during reaching tasks.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of obstacle avoidance in children is crucial for cognitive and motor development research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in obstacle avoidance during reaching movements in children and adults.
- To quantify the impact of obstacle proximity on movement kinematics across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study involving three groups of children (7-8, 9-10, 11-12 years) and a group of adults (18-24 years).
- Participants performed reaching and grasping tasks in a cluttered workspace with varying obstacle-target distances.
- Kinematic data, including movement speed and grip aperture, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Adults reduced movement speed and grip aperture when obstacles were near targets, with effects decreasing as distance increased.
- Children demonstrated a similar pattern but showed a significantly larger effect of the obstacle, even at greater distances.
- The influence of the obstacle on children's movements persisted beyond the point of physical obstruction, unlike in adults.
Conclusions:
- Children's obstacle avoidance strategies are less sensitive to distance than adults', suggesting different perceptual-motor processing.
- Developmental changes in spatial awareness and predictive movement control influence how individuals interact with environmental constraints.
- These findings provide insights into the maturation of goal-directed motor behavior and spatial cognition.