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Effective action by infants to contact objects by reaching and leaning
B E McKenzie1, H Skouteris, R H Day
1Department of Psychology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
Child Development
|April 1, 1993
Summary
Infants as young as 8 months understand that leaning extends their reach. By 12 months, they learn to use tools to extend their reaching space, demonstrating developing motor control and spatial awareness.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control
- Infant Perception
Background:
- Understanding infant motor development is crucial for grasping early cognitive abilities.
- Coordinating arm and trunk movements is a key developmental milestone for infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how infants aged 8-12 months coordinate arm and trunk movements to reach objects.
- To determine infants' perception of reaching space and the use of tools.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with infants aged 8, 10, and 12 months.
- Infants' reaching and leaning behaviors were observed in response to objects at varying distances.
- A mechanical aid was introduced in the second experiment to assess its use.
Main Results:
- Infants as young as 8 months use leaning to extend their reach for distant objects.
- Ten-month-old infants perceive the limits of combined reaching and leaning.
- Twelve-month-old infants begin to utilize tools to expand their reaching capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Infants demonstrate an early understanding of how body movements extend their reach.
- Perception of effective reaching space and tool use develops progressively between 8 and 12 months.
- These findings highlight the development of integrated motor planning and spatial reasoning in infancy.