An action perspective on motor development

• Published in: Trends in cognitive sciences Vol. 8; no. 6; pp. 266 - 272
• Main Author: von Hofsten, Claes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Brain - growth & development; Brain - physiology; Child Development; Developmental psychology; Eye Movements - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Imitative Behavior; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Movement - physiology; Newborn. Infant; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Reflex - physiology; Visual Perception - physiology; Human; Psychomotor development; Action; Motor development; Central nervous system; Infant; Cognition; Review; Motor control; Encephalon; Newborn; Motivation; Motricity
• ISSN: 1364-6613; 1879-307X; 1879-307X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2004.04.002

Motor development has all too often been considered as a set of milestones with little significance for the psychology of the child. Nothing could be more wrong. From an action perspective, motor development is at the heart of development and reflects all its different aspects, including perception, planning and motivation. Recent converging evidence demonstrates that, from birth onwards, children are agents who act on the world. Even in the newborn child, their movements are never just reflexes. On the contrary, they are purposeful goal-directed actions that foresee events in the world. Thus, motor development is not just a question of gaining control over muscles; equally important are questions such as why a particular movement is made, how the movements are planned, and how they anticipate what is going to happen next.