Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Object representation guides infants' reaching in the dark.

R K Clifton1, P Rochat, R Y Litovsky

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
|May 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Six-and-a-half-month-old infants demonstrated size-based reaching preparation, even in darkness. Their reaching behavior showed anticipation of object size, not just sound location, indicating early mental object representation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Neuronavigation assisted percutaneous balloon compression of the gasserian ganglion for trigeminal neuralgia. How I do it.

Acta neurochirurgica·2024
Same author

Language and executive functioning in young adults with Down syndrome.

Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR·2021
Same author

5000 radiophotographs in Lausanne, 1943 to 1945.

Radiologia clinica·2010
Same author

School medicine, today and ... tomorrow.

Pro Infirmis·2010
Same author

Massive pulmonary thromboembolism in six horses.

Equine veterinary journal·2008
Same author

Sequentially evolved bilateral epidural haematomas.

Clinical neurology and neurosurgery·2002

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Infant Motor Development

Background:

  • Understanding how infants develop object perception and motor control is crucial.
  • Previous research suggests auditory cues influence infant reaching, but the role of object size in pre-reaching preparation remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether object size influences pre-reaching preparation in 6 1/2-month-old infants.
  • To determine if infants' reaching behavior in the dark is guided by object size rather than solely by auditory cues.

Main Methods:

  • Infants were presented with two sounding objects of different sizes in both light and dark conditions.
  • Reaching behavior was assessed to analyze hand alignment and reach preparation.
  • Auditory cues were used to indicate object identity.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Infants showed size-specific hand alignment, reaching with both hands for larger objects and one hand for smaller objects.
  • Reaching preparation occurred in relation to object size, not just the sound source's location, especially in the dark.
  • Infants contacted larger objects on sides/bottom, avoiding the sound source on top.

Conclusions:

  • By 6 1/2 months, infants prepare for grasping based on object size, demonstrating anticipatory motor control.
  • This study provides evidence for the development of mental object representations that guide motor actions in early infancy.