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The transition to reaching: mapping intention and intrinsic dynamics
1Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405.
Child Development
|August 1, 1993
Summary
Infant reaching emerges when babies intentionally adjust arm force and compliance, adapting to tasks. This skill arises from natural movement dynamics rather than pre-programmed motor patterns.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Motor control
- Infant behavior
Background:
- Directed reaching is a key developmental milestone.
- Understanding the emergence of intentional movement is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how intentional reaching develops from intrinsic infant movement dynamics.
- Examine how infants adapt their initial reaches to task demands.
Main Methods:
- Weekly observation of 4 infants performing a standard reaching task.
- Identification of the onset of arm-extended reaches.
- Analysis of movement strategies before and after reach onset.
Main Results:
- Infants first reached between 12 and 22 weeks of age.
- Infants modulated movement force and energy based on their baseline dynamics.
- Reaching strategies were adapted to the task in subsequent weeks.
Conclusions:
- Reaching emerges through intentional adjustments in arm force and compliance, often involving muscle coactivation.
- Motor patterns are a consequence of system dynamics and active exploration, not pre-programmed trajectories.