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Using network analysis to capture developmental change: An illustration from infants' postural transitions
Sabrina L Thurman1, Daniela Corbetta2
1Department of Psychology, Elon University, Elon, NC, USA.
Summary
Network analysis reveals how infant behaviors change over time. Posture network density increases with crawling, but centrality patterns shift as infants develop upright locomotion.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Behavioral science
- Network science
Background:
- Network analysis typically assesses social relationships.
- Its application to individual behavioral development is underexplored.
- Understanding developmental trajectories requires robust analytical tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce network analysis for capturing developmental changes in behavior.
- To apply network analysis to infant postural-locomotor development.
- To explore how network parameters reflect developmental milestones.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal free-play data from 13 infants (sitting to walking).
- Documented infant postures and transitions to create postural networks.
- Derived network density and centrality parameters over time.
Main Results:
- Posture network density increased significantly after infants learned to crawl.
- Network density did not further increase with the development of upright locomotion.
- Centrality of specific postures varied with developmental stage, independent of time spent in those postures.
Conclusions:
- Network analysis effectively captures complex behavioral changes during development.
- Developmental milestones like crawling have distinct network signatures.
- Network analysis offers novel insights into infant motor development and potential applications in robotics and interventions.
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