title: From outcome prediction to action selection: developmental change in the role of action-effect bindings.
abstract: Ideomotor theory considers bidirectional action-effect associations to be the fundamental building blocks for intentional action. The present study employed a novel pupillometric and oculomotor paradigm to study developmental changes in the role of action-effects in the acquisition of voluntary action. Our findings suggest that both 7- and 12-month-olds (and adults) can use acquired action-effect bindings to predict action outcomes but only 12-month-olds (and adults) showed evidence for employing action-effects to select actions. This dissociation supports the idea that infants acquire action-effect knowledge before they have developed the cognitive machinery necessary to make use of that knowledge to perform intentional actions.
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Institute for Psychological Research & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stephan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Verschoor
authors.forename: Michiel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spapé
authors.forename: Szilvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biro
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hommel
mesh_terms: D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001364:Awareness; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D055815:Young Adult