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Choosing the shortest way to Mum: auditory guided rotation in 6- to 9-month-old infants
Audrey L H van der Meer1, Marte Ramstad, F R Ruud van der Weel
1Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. audrey.meer@svt.ntnu.no
Insights
Infants utilize auditory cues to navigate, consistently selecting the shortest path and increasing rotation speed with greater distances. This research highlights the auditory system
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Auditory Perception
- Infant Behavior
Background:
- Understanding how infants perceive and interact with their environment is crucial for developmental research.
- The role of auditory information in guiding motor behavior in infants is an area requiring further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utilization of auditory information for spatial orientation and shortest path selection in 6- to 9-month-old infants.
- To examine the relationship between auditory stimulus angles and infant rotation behavior, including direction and angular velocity.
Main Methods:
- Twelve 6- to 9-month-old sighted infants participated in the study.
- Auditory stimuli were presented at various directional angles (90-157.5 degrees) and a non-directional angle (180 degrees).
- Infant head and body rotation were measured using magnetic trackers while in a prone position.
Main Results:
- Infants consistently chose the shortest path to the auditory goal over the longest path.
- Peak angular velocity of infant rotation increased with larger angles between the infant and the goal.
- No significant preference for a specific rotation direction was observed.
Conclusions:
- Auditory information serves as a perceptual source for prospectively guiding infant behavior in their environment.
- The auditory system functions as a critical system for spatial orientation and navigation in early development.
- Infants demonstrate sophisticated auditory-spatial processing abilities from a young age.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of auditory information for rotation of the shortest way in twelve 6- to 9-month-old sighted infants. Behavior was manipulated by means of an auditory stimulus presented in four different directional angles (90 degrees , 112.5 degrees , 135 degrees , and 157.5 degrees ) to the right and to the left behind the infants, and in one non-directional angle (180 degrees ). Infants lay in a prone position and had magnetic trackers fastened to the head and body which measured their rotation direction and angular velocity. The results showed that infants not only consistently chose the shortest over the longest way, but also rotated with a higher peak angular velocity as the angle to be covered between themselves and the goal increased. The results did not show significant preferences for one particular rotation direction. The study can contribute to the understanding of the auditory system as a functional listening system where auditory information is used as a perceptual source for prospectively guiding behavior in the environment.
