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Developmental changes in action-outcome regularity perceptual sensitivity and its relationship to hand motor function
Satoshi Nobusako1,2, Wen Wen3, Yusuke Nagakura4
1Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Kio University, 4-2-2 Umaminaka, Koryo-cho, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara, 635-0832, Japan. s.nobusako@kio.ac.jp.
Insights
Perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity develops in childhood. This sensitivity is lower in young children (5-6 years) and those with poor manual dexterity, suggesting developmental immaturity and potential impairment.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Perception of action-outcome regularity is crucial for sense of agency and motor performance.
- Previous research has not explored the developmental trajectory of action-outcome regularity perception.
- Understanding this development is key to understanding agency and motor skill acquisition in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental changes in perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity in children.
- To examine the relationship between manual dexterity and action-outcome regularity perception across childhood.
- To identify age-related and dexterity-related differences in this perceptual ability.
Main Methods:
- Assessed perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity in 200 children aged 5–16 years.
- Measured manual dexterity using standardized tests.
- Analyzed data for age-group differences and correlations between sensitivity, age, and dexterity.
Main Results:
- Perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity was significantly lower in 5–6-year-olds compared to 9–16-year-olds.
- Children with low manual dexterity exhibited significantly lower sensitivity than those with medium to high dexterity.
- Age correlated significantly with perceptual sensitivity, but manual dexterity did not show a significant correlation overall or within age bands.
Conclusions:
- Perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity is immature in early childhood (5–6 years).
- Poor manual dexterity may be associated with impaired action-outcome regularity perception in children aged 5–16 years.
- Developmental maturation and motor skills influence the perception of action-outcome relationships.
Abstract:
Along with the comparator model, the perception of action-outcome regularity is involved in the generation of sense of agency. In addition, the perception of action-outcome regularity is related to motor performance. However, no studies have examined the developmental changes in the perception of action-outcome regularity. The current study measured perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity and manual dexterity in 200 children aged between 5 and 16 years. The results showed that perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity was significantly lower in 5-6-year-old children than in 9-16-year-old children, and that it was significantly lower in children with low manual dexterity than in children with medium to high manual dexterity. Correlation analyses revealed significant correlations of age and perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity, but no significant correlation of manual dexterity and perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity, either overall or in any age band. The present study suggests that perceptual sensitivity to action-outcome regularity is immature at 5-6 years of age and that it may be impaired in 5-16-year-old children with poor manual dexterity.
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