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The Development of Prospective Grasping Control Between 5 and 7 Months: A Longitudinal Study.
1Department of Psychology University of New Mexico.
Summary
Infants develop visually guided grasping between 5 and 7.5 months. Their hand orientation transitions from tactile feedback reliance to visual anticipation for object manipulation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Motor control
- Infant perception
Background:
- Infants visually guide grasp by 7 months, preorienting hands to match object orientation.
- Evidence for prospective grasp control via anticipatory hand orientation in younger infants is mixed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally examine the development of anticipatory hand orientation in infants.
- To investigate the transition in grasp control from tactile to visual guidance.
Main Methods:
- 15 infants were observed every 3 weeks between 5 and 7.5 months.
- Infants reached for vertically and horizontally oriented objects.
- Hand orientation at first contact, before tactile feedback, was measured.
Main Results:
- Infants showed a qualitative transition in prospective grasp control between 5 and 7 months.
- This suggests a developmental shift in grasp control mechanisms.
- Grasp control appears to become visually, rather than tactually, based.
Conclusions:
- Prospective grasp control emerges developmentally.
- The shift towards visual guidance supports anticipatory hand orientation.
- Understanding this developmental trajectory informs theories of motor skill acquisition.
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