Work

Learning From Their Own Actions: The Unique Effect of Producing Actions on Infants' Action Understanding

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Prior research suggests that infants' action production affects their action understanding, but little is known about the aspects of motor experience that render these effects. In Study 1, the relative contributions of self-produced (n = 30) and observational (n = 30) action experience on 3-month-old infants' action understanding was assessed using a visual habituation paradigm. In Study 2, generalization of training to a new context was examined (n = 30). Results revealed a unique effect of active over observational experience. Furthermore, findings suggest that benefits of trained actions do not generalize broadly, at least following brief training.

Source: Child Development

DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12115

Authors: Sarah A Gerson, Amanda L Woodward

Institutions: Radboud University Nijmegen, University of Chicago

Language: English

Topic: Child and Animal Learning Development

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: Functions and Development of the Mirror Neuron System, Infants Understanding of Goal Directed Action