Development of self‐produced locomotion in the first year: changes in parent perceptions and infant behaviour

Abstract

Self-produced locomotion is regarded as a setting event for other developmental transitions in infancy with important implications for socioemotional development and parent-child interaction. Using an age-held-constant design, this study examined changes in reported infant behaviour and maternal proactive/reactive control and compared them with direct observations of infant and maternal behaviour associated with the development of selfproduced locomotion. Maternal reports were obtained prior to the locomotor transition and, for half the sample, after infants had transitioned to effective mobility. Observations of all infants were conducted shortly after the second interview. Prelocomotor and transitioning infants showed none of the expected behavioural differences (e.g. emotionality and compliance) associated with the locomotor transition. There was modest confirmation of expected differences in maternal behaviour, particularly in the use of reactive control techniques, and mothers of transitioning infants showed higher proactive controls before their infants began to crawl. These findings suggest that the changes in parent-child interaction associated with the locomotor transition may have as much to do with parental expectations than with changes in infant socioemotional behaviour.

Experiences of Families With Young Power Wheelchair Users

“…We also noted parents’ increase in expectations, as the children moved along the child competence continuum from s/he’ll let us know to s/he’s figured it out . These changes appear to have occurred as the child demonstrated new competence with the power wheelchair, not unlike literature that suggests that parental expectations of infants increased when infants and young children demonstrated new movement skills such as crawling or walking (Campos et al, 1992; Campos et al, 2000; Hendrix & Thompson, 2011).…”

“…Development of self-generated locomotion in typically developing infants has also been linked to changes in parent perceptions and family experiences. Researchers have reported findings that suggested parent and family behavior and interaction change with the onset of an infant’s self-generated mobility (Campos, Kermoian, & Zumbahlen, 1992; Campos et al, 2000; Hendrix & Thompson, 2011). Campos et al (1992) reported greater parental expectations including understanding of verbal communication and compliance of behavior when infants had self-generated mobility.…”

“…Campos et al (1992) reported greater parental expectations including understanding of verbal communication and compliance of behavior when infants had self-generated mobility. Hendrix and Thompson (2011) suggested the development of self-generated locomotion be viewed as a developmental milestone not only for infants but also for parents because parenting (i.e., preparing, supporting, and responding to infants) changed as infants’ new abilities became evident.…”

Let Me Go: The Influences of Crawling Experience and Temperament on the Development of Anger Expression

“…The experience of crawling changes infants’ relationships with their environments, altering perception, memory, social interactions, and patterns of brain activation (Bell & Fox, 1996; Campos, Kermoian, & Zumbahlen, 1992). Multiple studies have demonstrated links between the onset of locomotion and development across several domains (see Campos et al., 2000), including changes in motivation, behavioral flexibility and adaptive coping strategies, parent–child interaction, and parental expectations and experiences of child behavior (Adolph & Joh, 2007; Clearfield, 2011; Hendrix & Thompson, 2011).…”

Disentangling the negativity bias: 7-9-month-old crawling and non-crawling infants' responses to fearful and angry expressions.

“…Parents also reported increased expectations of compliance, increased use of verbal prohibitions, and increased use of their voice for discipline. The number of mothers who used prohibitive/ reactive control practices (e.g., using the word 'no,' adjusting tone of voice, using facial expressions to control infant behavior) with their infants increased significantly between mothers of pre-crawling infants and mothers of crawling infants according to parent reported behaviors and a brief observation in the lab (Hendrix & Thompson, 2011).…”