| dc.description.abstract | Through reaching out, grasping, and playing with objects, infants can learn how to interact efficiently and effectively with their surroundings as well as learn about causality, the contingency between their actions and the outcomes of their actions, and object properties. Early motor interventions, such as sticky mittens training, have the potential to encourage 3-month-old infants to begin reaching for and exploring objects (ex. Needham, Barrett, & Peterman, 2002). During sticky mittens training, infants sit on a parent’s lap, and they wear custom mittens with the palms covered in Velcro loop. Infants are presented with lightweight toys covered in Velcro hook. By swatting to make contact with the toys, infants can obtain toys and move them through their visual fields. The current study tests whether infants generalize increases in exploration behaviors gained through sticky mittens training to Oballs presented to them in various postures. Our findings showed that infants increased their touching and grasping behaviors most when sitting upright with the Oball resting on a tabletop. Infants also showed evidence of transferring increases in exploration behaviors to the supine and reclining postures when the Oball was suspended within their reach. Infants’ touching and grasping behaviors did not change from pre- to post-training when they were seated upright with the Oball suspended above the surface of the table. These findings will inform the design and implementation of early motor interventions to best promote learning opportunities. | |
