Learning to move

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Locomotion - moving the body from place to place - is one of infants' greatest achievements. In addition to conquering gravity, infants must cope with variable and novel constraints on balance and propulsion. At the same time that they are learning to move, changes in infants' bodies, skills, and environments change the biomechanical constraints on movement. Recent work highlights both flexibility and specificity in infants' responses to novel and variable situations, demonstrating that infants are learning to learn as they master locomotion. Within sitting, crawling, cruising, and walking postures, experienced infants adapt their locomotor responses to the current biomechanical constraints on movement. However, what infants have learned about coping with variability and novelty in earlier-developing postures does not transfer to later-developing postures.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)213-218
Number of pages6
JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science
Volume17
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2008

Keywords

  • Crawling
  • Learning to learn
  • Locomotion
  • Perception-action
  • Walking

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology

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