Early object skill supports growth in role-differentiated bimanual manipulation in infants

• Published in: Infant behavior & development 2024-03, Vol.74, p.101925-101925, Article 101925
• Main Authors: Taylor, Megan A., Coxe, Stefany, Nelson, Eliza L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Growth model; Object skill; Role-differentiated bimanual manipulation; Sitting skill
• ISSN: 0163-6383; 1879-0453; 1934-8800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101925

The ability to coordinate the hands together to act on objects where each hand does something different is known as role-differentiated bimanual manipulation (RDBM). This study investigated two motor skills that may support the development of RDBM: infants’ early object skill and their early sitting skill. To evaluate these potential predictors of RDBM growth, 90 infants were examined in a lab-based longitudinal design over a 9-month period. Latent growth modeling was used to estimate RDBM growth trajectories over 9 to 14 months from infants’ object and sitting skills at 6 months, controlling for infant’s sex, mother’s education, and family income. Higher object skill, controlling for sitting skill, was related to a higher increase in RDBM over time. Sitting did not predict infants’ change in RDBM over time, controlling for object skill. The ability to manage multiple objects may support collaborative hand use by providing infants with opportunities to practice actions that will be needed later for RDBM. By comparison, sitting may free the hands in an unspecified manner for manipulation. [Display omitted] •Object skill and sitting skill were rated when infants were 6 months.•Role-differentiated bimanual manipulation (RDBM) was measured from 9 to 14 months.•Higher object skill predicted higher increase in RDBM growth, controlling for sitting.•The ability to manage multiple objects may prepare infants for later RDBM.