Developmental differences in infants' use of an object's shape to grasp it securely.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Motor Control
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Infants' ability to perceive and utilize object properties is crucial for developing motor skills.
• Understanding how infants plan and execute movements informs theories of sensorimotor development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how 11- and 13-month-old infants use object shape information to plan their approach and grasp.
• To identify developmental differences in infants' motor control strategies when interacting with objects of varying symmetry.

Main Methods:

• Observational study involving 22 infants (11 and 13 months old).
• Infants were presented with symmetric and asymmetric objects to approach and grasp.
• Grasping points, object stability, strategies, and latencies were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Infants initially grasped asymmetrical objects further from their center of mass than symmetrical objects.
• Significant developmental differences were observed in correcting hand placement, maintaining object control, and grasp latency.
• Older infants exhibited more proficient motor skills in all measured aspects.

Conclusions:

• Infants' motor planning incorporates object shape information from early in development.
• Motor control and visual-information processing for action show significant developmental improvements between 11 and 13 months of age.