Infants return to two-handed reaching when they are learning to walk

J Mot Behav. 2002 Mar;34(1):83-95. doi: 10.1080/00222890209601933.

Abstract

The authors examined whether infants of about 1 year return to 2-handed reaching when they begin to walk independently. Infants (N = 9) were followed longitudinally before, during, and after their transition to upright locomotion. Every week, the infants' reaching responses and patterns of interlimb coordination were screened in 3 tasks involving different adaptive reaching responses. Before the onset of upright locomotion, the infants responded to each task adaptively. Following walking onset, they increased their rate of 2-handed responses in all tasks. The 2-handed responses declined when the infants gained better balance control. The results suggest that infants' return to 2-handed reaching is experience dependent. Those findings are discussed in terms of the integration of new developing motor skills into existing cognitive and motor repertoires.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child Development
  • Female
  • Hand Strength / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Learning*
  • Male
  • Walking*