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Investigating the effects of age and autonomous locomotion on infant location use during the first year
Alicia L Springfield1, Do Kyeong Lee1
1Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Fullerton, USA.
Insights
Infants explore more locations once they start crawling. Developmental changes in space use include less time in restrictive areas and more time on the floor, driven by locomotion rather than just age.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Behavior
- Spatial Cognition
Background:
- Understanding how infants interact with their environment is crucial for developmental research.
- Infants' exploration of physical spaces changes significantly as they gain mobility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how age and the development of autonomous locomotion influence infants' use of physical spaces.
- To analyze changes in location frequency and duration from infancy to 12 months.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal observation of 18 healthy infants from ~3 to 12 months in their homes.
- Naturalistic video recordings of spontaneous play, with continuous coding of location usage.
- Quantification of frequency and duration of infant interaction with distinct locations (e.g., floor, crib).
Main Results:
- Crawling infants explored a greater number of distinct locations compared to pre-crawling infants.
- Infants spent less time in restrictive locations and more time on the floor as they aged.
- Locomotor status (crawling) was a stronger predictor of exploration frequency than chronological age.
Conclusions:
- Infant spatial exploration is significantly influenced by the development of autonomous locomotion.
- Environmental affordances are comparable across households, highlighting individual behavioral variation.
- Developmental shifts in space utilization are characterized by increased floor time and reduced use of restrictive spaces.
Abstract:
This study investigated the influence of age and autonomous locomotion on infants' use of physical spaces during the first year of life. A total of 18 healthy infants (8 male, 10 female) were observed longitudinally in their homes from an average starting age of 2.77 months through 12 months. Monthly, naturalistic video recordings captured approximately 30 min of uninterrupted spontaneous play per infant, with the researcher acting as a passive observer. Continuous coding quantified the frequency and duration of infants' use of distinct locations (e.g., floor, crib, caregiver). Results revealed that infants experienced comparable affordances across households, validating true behavioral variation rather than differential access. Location frequency did not vary with age, but crawling infants visited more locations than pre-crawlers. Time in restrictive locations decreased with age, while floor time increased, particularly before crawling onset. Ultimately, developmental changes were characterized by reduced time in restrictive locations and greater time on the floor, with total frequency of explorations more closely tied to locomotor status than chronological age.
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