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Development of motor coordination during joint action in mid-childhood

E Satta1, S Ferrari-Toniolo1, F Visco-Comandini1

  • 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome SAPIENZA, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.

Neuropsychologia
|April 30, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Children develop joint action skills around age 7, synchronizing movements and reducing reaction times. By age 8, they improve solo performance and monitor peers for better cooperative action.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Cognitive neuroscience
  • Motor control

Background:

  • Joint action is crucial for primate evolution and human development.
  • Understanding the emergence of joint action coordination in childhood is key.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate when cognitive-motor functions for joint action emerge during post-natal development.
  • To identify age-related changes in coordination strategies during cooperative tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Dyads of peers (6-9 years) and adults performed a force-exertion joystick task.
  • Actions were compared in "solo" and "cooperative" contexts.

Main Results:

  • Synchronization attempts and reduced reaction time variability emerged by age 7 in joint action planning.
  • Solo performance accuracy peaked at age 8.
  • Online peer monitoring emerged as a coordination strategy from age 8 onwards.

Conclusions:

  • Motor and cognitive development in childhood mediate the ability and propensity to engage in joint actions.
  • Specific age milestones (7 and 8 years) are critical for developing distinct coordination strategies.

Keywords:
Isometric actionMotor controlMotor developmentOnline monitoringSocial interactionsVisuo-motor coordination

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