The development of reaching and looking preferences in infants to objects of different sizes.

Journal article

Reaching and looking preferences and movement kinematics were recorded in 5-15-month-old infants, who were divided into 3 age groups. Infants were presented with pairs of cylinders of 3 different diameters: small (1-cm diameter), medium (2.5-cm diameter), and large (6-cm diameter). Whereas infants between 5 and 12 months of age showed a preference for looking first at the large object, a significant preference for reaching to smaller (graspable) objects was observed in 81/2-12-month-old infants. Kinematic measures suggest that the onset of object-oriented action requires a slowing down of the reach and an extended "homing-in" phase. The divergent looking and reaching preferences in infants at different ages may reflect a dissociation during development of visual processing streams subserving object-related action from those related to visual orienting.

Authors: Newman, C; Atkinson, J; Braddick, O

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Developmental psychology
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 561-572
• Publication date: 2001-07-01
• DOI: 10.1037//0012-1649.37.4.561
• EISSN: 1939-0599
• ISSN: 0012-1649
• Language: English
• Keywords: Form Perception; Infant; Random Allocation; Videotape Recording; Hand Strength; Male; Humans; Choice Behavior; Female