Manipulation Complexity in Infants
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| Title: | Manipulation Complexity in Infants |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Kaityn Contino (ORCID |
| Source: | Infant and Child Development. 2026 35(1). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 7 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS) |
| Contract Number: | R03HD097419 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Object Manipulation, Infants, Play, Child Development, Psychomotor Skills, Motor Development |
| DOI: | 10.1002/icd.70087 |
| ISSN: | 1522-7227 1522-7219 |
| Abstract: | Object exploration affords rich opportunities for learning across the first years of life. During object play, infants use different combinations of fingers, different roles for each hand, and will deconstruct object parts--these fine-grained differences comprise the construct "manipulation complexity" (MC). We examined MC in a sample of 90 typically developing infants (47 males; 75% White) assessed at six monthly visits from 9 to 14 months of age from a battery of eight objects. Guttman analyses found that MC is cumulative, meaning that infants can do the most complex manipulation skill if they are able to also do all the lower ranked manipulation skills. The order from least complex to most complex was: (1) bimanual manipulation, (2) bimanual manipulation with distinct roles for each hand, (3) object deconstruction, and (4) independent digit movement. These results introduce a new framework for describing fine motor skills in infant manipulation. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Notes: | https://osf.io/n4kdg/overview?view_only=fd182189aa3046d4ac8ab100ab01a0a5 |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1497911 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Object exploration affords rich opportunities for learning across the first years of life. During object play, infants use different combinations of fingers, different roles for each hand, and will deconstruct object parts--these fine-grained differences comprise the construct "manipulation complexity" (MC). We examined MC in a sample of 90 typically developing infants (47 males; 75% White) assessed at six monthly visits from 9 to 14 months of age from a battery of eight objects. Guttman analyses found that MC is cumulative, meaning that infants can do the most complex manipulation skill if they are able to also do all the lower ranked manipulation skills. The order from least complex to most complex was: (1) bimanual manipulation, (2) bimanual manipulation with distinct roles for each hand, (3) object deconstruction, and (4) independent digit movement. These results introduce a new framework for describing fine motor skills in infant manipulation. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1522-7227 1522-7219 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/icd.70087 |
