Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
10:51
Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans
Published on: January 15, 2018
Changes in object-oriented arm movements that precede the transition to goal-directed reaching in infancy
Mei-Hua Lee1, Rajiv Ranganathan, Karl M Newell
1Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, 266 Recreation Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. mxl58@psu.edu
Developmental Psychobiology
|March 25, 2011
Summary
Infants
Area of Science:
- Motor Development
- Infant Kinematics
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Prehensile skill development is crucial in infant motor development.
- Understanding the transition to goal-directed reaching is key.
- Object-oriented arm movements are precursors to reaching.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively describe changes in infant arm movements before reaching.
- To analyze kinematic changes during early object interaction.
- To identify developmental markers preceding goal-directed reaching.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 10 infants from 10 to 28 weeks.
- Biweekly recording of arm kinematics during object presentation.
- Analysis of movement jerk across three developmental phases.
Main Results:
- A decrease in normalized movement jerk was observed with increasing infant age.
- This kinematic change occurred before the onset of reaching movements.
- Reduced jerk reflects improved adaptive modulation of arm movements.
Conclusions:
- Decreased movement jerk is a key indicator preceding infant reaching.
- Adaptive modulation of arm movements is critical for developing prehension.
- This finding offers insights into the learning process of infant reaching.
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