The Persistence of Traditional Cradle Board (Beshik) Usage among Post-Soviet Central Asian Mothers: Survey Analysis from Southern Kyrgyzstan

Zawlacki, Jake; Derrick, Matthew

doi:10.20448/807.6.2.96.105

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 24 publications

(27 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Gahvora cradling highlights how communities adapt their practices to environmental and cultural demands. Presumably, gahvora use endured over centuries (Zawlacki & Derrick, 2020) because of immediate benefits that outweigh short-term costs. The gahvora cradle safely contains infants while caregivers complete chores or leave the room.…”

Section: Gahvora Cradling Benefits May Outweigh Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gahvora cradling in Tajikistan: Cultural practices and associations with motor development

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A central issue in developmental science is the role of experience in child learning and development (Greenough et al., 1987;Piaget, 1954). To what extent do particular experiences at particular developmental time points facilitate acquisition of particular skills? Experimental evidence, of course, is the gold standard to demonstrate causality. Classic work in behavioral embryology (Haverkamp & Oppenheim, 1986), ethology (Lorenz, 1965, and comparative psychology (Harlow & Harlow, 1961) tested the role of experience by experimentally depriving non-human infants of putative, critical experiences. Although deprivation experiments are not possible with human infants, natural experiments and cultural comparisons can shed light on the importance of particular experiences. For example, lack of patterned visual input in infancy prior to cataract removal compromises later visual acuity, global motion, and face processing (Maurer, 2017). Likewise, lack of exposure to speech in infancy prior to cochlear implants attenuates sensitivity to the sounds of language (e.g., Pisoni, 2000).In cultures that do not have words for numbers (e.g., the Piraha in Amazonia), children and adults lack specific aspects of numerical cognition (Gordon, 2004).For decades, research on motor development and physical growth was dominated by a maturational perspective that de-emphasized the role of experience (e.g., Gesell, 1928). Here, we examined the effects of early restricted movement on infant and child motor and physical development due to a traditional cradling practice in Central Asia in which babies are bound supine for extended periods. We focused on foundational motor skills (sitting, crawling, standing, walking) that are critical for functional behavior with downstream consequences on other psychological domains (Adolph & Hoch, 2019;Campos et al., 2000). And we used head dimensions as corroborating evidence for prolonged time in a supine position. Moreover, motor behavior and physical growth are directly observable and measurable, providing a useful window into general developmental processes.

show abstract

Section: Gahvora Cradling Benefits May Outweigh Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%