Locomotor experience affects self and emotion.

Authors:
  • DADavid I. Anderson
    David I. Anderson
  • DWDavid Witherington
    David Witherington
  • CFCarl B. Frankel
    Carl B. Frankel
  • LLLaure Lejeune
    Laure Lejeune
  • MBMarianne Barbu-Roth
    Marianne Barbu-Roth
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Abstract
Two studies investigated the role of locomotor experience on visual proprioception in 8-month-old infants. Visual proprioception refers to the sense of self-motion induced in a static person by patterns of optic flow. A moving room apparatus permitted displacement of an entire enclosure (except for the floor) or the side walls and ceiling. In Study 1, creeping infants and prelocomotor/walker infants showed significantly greater postural compensation and emotional responses to side wall movement than did same-age prelocomotor infants. Study 2 used true random assignment of prelocomotor infants to locomotor-training (via a powered-mobility device) and no-training conditions. Experimental infants showed powerful effects of locomotor training. These results imply that locomotor experience is playing a causal role in the ontogeny of visual proprioception.
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation (BCS-0002001)
  • National Institutes of Health (HD-39925; HD-50638)
  • France-Berkeley Fund
  • National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (P20MD00262)

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