TY - JOUR
T1 - What Changes in Infant Walking and Why
AU - Adolph, Karen E.
AU - Vereijken, Beatrix
AU - Shrout, Patrick E.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - This study compared the relative contributions of growing body dimensions, age, and walking experience in the development of walking skill in 9- to 17-month-old infants (N = 210), 5-6-year old kindergartners (N = 15), and college students (N = 13). Kinematic measures derived from participants' footprints showed characteristic improvements in walking skill. As children became bigger, older, and more experienced, their steps became longer, narrower, straighter, and more consistent. Improvements reflected a narrowing base of support and increasing control over the path of progression. Although both infants' age and the duration of their walking experience contributed to improvements in walking skill, experience was the stronger predictor. This finding suggests that practice is the more important developmental factor for helping infants to conquer their weak muscles and precarious balance.
AB - This study compared the relative contributions of growing body dimensions, age, and walking experience in the development of walking skill in 9- to 17-month-old infants (N = 210), 5-6-year old kindergartners (N = 15), and college students (N = 13). Kinematic measures derived from participants' footprints showed characteristic improvements in walking skill. As children became bigger, older, and more experienced, their steps became longer, narrower, straighter, and more consistent. Improvements reflected a narrowing base of support and increasing control over the path of progression. Although both infants' age and the duration of their walking experience contributed to improvements in walking skill, experience was the stronger predictor. This finding suggests that practice is the more important developmental factor for helping infants to conquer their weak muscles and precarious balance.
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U2 - 10.1111/1467-8624.7402011
DO - 10.1111/1467-8624.7402011
M3 - Article
C2 - 12705568
AN - SCOPUS:0042344788
SN - 0009-3920
VL - 74
SP - 475
EP - 497
JO - Child development
JF - Child development
IS - 2
ER -