Motor development and the mind: the potential role of motor abilities as a determinant of aspects of perceptual development.
Recent advances in the science of human movement have enabled developmental psychologists to discover unique patterns of organization and control in infant motor behavior and development, provoking a resurgence of interest in this topic. In this article, we emphasize the role that motor development may play in determining developmental sequences or "timetables" in other domains. Specifically, we argue that particular motor achievements may be integral to developments in the domains of haptic perception and depth perception. In both cases, there is a high degree of fit between the developmental sequence in which certain perceptual sensitivities unfold and the ages at which the corresponding motor abilities onset. The discussions may provide new contexts in which to consider the developments of haptic perception and depth perception. The general purpose, however, is to highlight the wide-ranging influence of motor development during infancy.
Bushnell
E W
EW
Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155.
Boudreau
J P
JP
D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D003867:Depth Perception / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*