Infant Learning & Motor Development

infant learning: habituation

a decrease in response to repeated stimulation, revealing that learning has occured

preferential looking paradigm

can tell there’s a difference between images if they look longer at new image

operant conditioning

• infants repeat behaviors that are rewarded (ex: kicking to get mobile to spin)

• young infants’ memory for operant responses is context dependent

imitation

• reflex, involuntary

• newborns can imitate facial expressions

infant observational learning

• newborns can imitate

• harder to induce in slightly older babies

• capacity improves with age

infant observational learning—4mo

infants will imitate intention of adults but not intention of machines

media

• contingent

• child imitates better when person is responding to the child

• child doesn’t imitate as well watching something on screen

0 mo—motor

prone, lifts head

2mo—motor

prone, chest up, uses arm for support

2.2mo—motor

rolls over

3mo—motor

supports some weight with legs

4.5mo—motor

sits without support

4.8mo—motor

stands with support

6mo—motor

pulls self to stand

7mo—motor

walks using furniture for support

9.5mo—motor

stands alone easily

11mo—motor

walks alone easily

infant locomotion

crawling does not teach you to be a wise walker

• learning how to do things is modality specific

• experienced crawlers know what they can crawl on safely

motor skills as dynamic systems

• increasingly complex systems of action with each skill

four factors in each new skill for motor skills

1. central nervous system development

2. body’s movement capacity

3. child’s goals

4. environmental supports

dynamic motor systems in action

• order in which motor skills develop depends on anatomy, environment, and baby’s efforts

• cultural variations in child rearing also affect motor development

steps in reaching and grasping

• prereaching

• reaching

• ulnar grasp (move objects hand to hand)

• pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger pick up small things)