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Colbourne JAD, Auersperg AMI, Beck SR. Children's limited tooling ability in a novel concurrent tool use task supports the innovation gap. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21374. [PMID: 39266618 PMCID: PMC11393408 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71686-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
School-aged children have consistently shown a surprising developmental lag when attempting to innovate solutions to tool use tasks, despite being capable of learning to solve these problems from a demonstrator. We suggest that this "innovation gap" arises from tool tasks with more complex spatial relations. Following Fragaszy and Mangalam's new tooling theory, we predicted that innovating a new "sticker slide" task should be more challenging when two tools need to be used at the same time (concurrently) rather than one at a time (sequentially), despite the similarity of the other task elements. In line with previous work, both versions of the task were challenging for all ages of children (4-9 years) that we tested. However, the youngest group showed particularly extreme difficulties, which was marked by not a single child innovating the concurrent version. Although success significantly increased with age, even the oldest group failed to reach 50% success on the concurrent version of the task, whereas the majority of the two older groups could solve the sequential version. Thus, in this first study of concurrent tool use in children, we found support for the prediction that increasing the complexity of spatial relations in tooling exacerbates the innovation gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A D Colbourne
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Alice M I Auersperg
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah R Beck
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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Scharoun Benson SM. The influence of object size on second-order planning in an overturned cup task. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:642-650. [PMID: 33813623 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01509-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
For children, second-order planning in object manipulation, as demonstrated by the end-state comfort (ESC) effect, is constrained by numerous factors. As a step towards delineating the influence of object size, children (ages 6-10, n = 113) and adults (ages 18-25, n = 17) performed an overturned cup task with 8 cup sizes (4.7-8.4 cm diameter). Contrary to the hypothesis, cup size did not predict the overall proportion of trials with ESC. An increase in age and hand length did result in more ESC. Subsequent analyses with children, which focused on each cup size, revealed an increase in the ratio of hand size to cup size resulted in an increase in ESC with the 4.7, 5.2, 6.2, and 6.7 cm cups, age was a significant predictor with 4.7, 5.2, and 6.2 cm cups, and the interaction was significant for the 6.2 cm cup. No other significant results emerged. Together, findings offer preliminary support for the notion that object size does constrain children's motor planning skills to a certain degree (i.e., with large cups); however, further inquiry is warranted to elucidate the link between object size and hand size in children's performance of tasks requiring second-order planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Scharoun Benson
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, 400 Sunset Ave., Windsor, ON, N9B3P4, Canada.
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Assessing the Internal Reliability and Construct Validity of the General Movement Competence Assessment for Children. JOURNAL OF MOTOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1123/jmld.2018-0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Validated assessment tools for movement competence typically involve the isolation and reproduction of specific movement forms, which arguably neglects individuals’ ability to combine and adapt movements to overcome constraints within a dynamic environment. A new movement assessment tool, the General Movement Competence Assessment (GMCA), was developed for this study using Microsoft Kinect. Movement competence of 83 children (36 boys and 47 girls), aged 8–10 years (9.06 ± 0.75 years) was measured using the GMCA. An exploratory approach was undertaken to examine the internal consistency reliability (McDonald’s omega coefficient) and factorial structure of the GMCA for the study sample. Factorial structure was determined using exploratory factor analysis by principal component analysis with varimax rotation. For the sample data, reliability for the GMCA games were acceptable (ω = 0.53–0.89) and indicated that combinations of movement attributes were measured by GMCA games. Factorial analysis extracted four movement constructs accounting for 71.31% of variance. Dexterity was tentatively identified as a new independent construct alongside currently accepted movement constructs (i.e., locomotion, object-control, stability). While further development of the GMCA is still required, initial results are encouraging in view of an objective and theoretically informed approach to assess general movement competence in children.
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Serrien DJ, O’Regan L. The development of motor planning strategies in children. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2020.1736029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Louise O’Regan
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Scharoun Benson SM, Bryden PJ, Roy EA. Age-group differences in beginning-state comfort reveal an increase in motor planning capabilities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0165025419865620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Objects can be grasped in different ways to ensure a movement plan is aligned with the intended action. The current study assessed grasp posture in joint action object manipulation in children (ages 6–11, n = 68), young adults ( n = 21), and older adults ( n = 23). Participants performed two actions (pickup and pass; pickup and pass for use) within two movement contexts (using a dowel as if it were the actual object; actual object use), using two objects (glass and hammer) that differed in use-dependent experience. Beginning-state comfort (prioritizing a comfortable initial hand posture for an object recipient) was assessed. Taken together, findings support the notion that the ability to anticipate the intended action, and thus consider an action partner in one’s action plan, increases with age. With age and use-dependent experience, it can be argued that there is a shift from stimulus-driven, familiar responses, to considering affordances and task demands. Together, findings add to our understanding of changes in motor planning capabilities across the life span.
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Rodgers RA, Travers BG, Mason AH. Bimanual Reach to Grasp Movements in Youth With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychol 2019; 9:2720. [PMID: 30705654 PMCID: PMC6344405 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reaching and grasping (prehension) is one of the earliest developing motor skills in humans, but continued prehension development in childhood and adolescence enables the performance of increasingly complex manual tasks. In individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) atypical unimanual reaching and grasping has been reported, but to date, no studies have investigated discrete bimanual movements. We examined unimanual and bimanual reach to grasp tasks in youth with ASD to better understand how motor performance might change with increasing complexity. Twenty youth with ASD (10.1 ± 2.4 years) and 17 youth with typical development (TD) (9.6 ± 2.6 years) were instructed to reach and grasp cubes that became illuminated. Participants were asked to reach out with the right and/or left hands to grasp and lift targets located at near (18 cm) and/or far (28 cm) distances. For the unimanual (simplest) condition, participants grasped one illuminated cube (with either the left or right hand). For the bimanual conditions, participants grasped two illuminated cubes located at the same distance from the start position (bimanual symmetric condition) or two illuminated cubes located at different distances (bimanual asymmetric condition). Significant interactions among diagnostic group, task complexity, and age were found for initiation time (IT) and movement time (MT). Specifically, the older children in both groups initiated and performed their movements faster in the unimanual condition than in the bimanual conditions, although the older children with ASD produced slower ITs and MTs compared to typically developing peers across all three conditions. Surprisingly, the younger children with ASD had similar ITs and MTs as their peers for the unimanual condition but did not considerably slow these times to adjust for the complexity of the bimanual tasks. We hypothesize that they chose to re-use the motor plans that were generated for the unimanual trials rather than generate more appropriate motor plans for the bimanual tasks. An atypical spatiotemporal relationship between MT and peak aperture (PA) was also found in the ASD group. Together, our results suggest deficits in motor planning that result in subtle effects on performance in younger children with ASD that become more pronounced with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Rodgers
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Brittany G Travers
- Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Andrea H Mason
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Scharoun Benson SM, Forsyth A, Bryden PJ. Hand selection in a preferential reaching task: The effects of object location, orientation, and task intention in preadolescent children. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e01025. [PMID: 30099858 PMCID: PMC6160658 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND METHODS Hand selection was assessed in preadolescent children (ages 9-11) within a preferential reaching task to delineate the effects of object location, orientation, and task intention on the assessment procedure and compared to data previously acquired from young adults. RESULTS The observed differences support the notion that children are still in a process of refining their movements in attempt to discern the most efficient and effective patterns of behavior. Notwithstanding differences in performance, similarities between preadolescents and young adults also emerged. Greater right-hand selection in right space and when the handle was oriented to the right indicate that object proximity and orientation influence efficiency and thus constrain hand selection in unimanual object manipulation and role-differentiated bimanual manipulation. CONCLUSIONS Together, findings add to our understanding of hand preference, unimanual and bimanual object manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda Forsyth
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Pamela J Bryden
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Scharoun Benson SM, Roy EA, Bryden PJ. End-state comfort in two object manipulation tasks: Investigating how the movement context influences planning in children, young adults, and older adults. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:317-323. [PMID: 29411871 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The movement context (pantomime, pantomime with image/object as guide, and actual use) has been shown to influence end-state comfort-the propensity to prioritize a comfortable final hand position over an initially comfortable one-across the lifespan. The present study aimed to assess how the movement context (pantomime, using a dowel as the tool, and actual use) influences end-state comfort when acting with objects (glass/hammer) that differ in use-dependent experience. Children (ages 6-11, n = 70), young adults (n = 21), and older adults (n = 21) picked up an overturned glass to pour water and a hammer to hit a nail, where the handle faced away from the participant. End-state comfort was assessed in each movement context. Findings provide support for an increase in end-state comfort with age, adult-like patterns at age 10, and no difference between older adults and 8- to 9-year-old children. In addition, this work revealed that perception of "graspability" led to an increase in end-state comfort in the hammering task; therefore, suggesting our ability to act with objects and tools in the environment is influenced by use-dependent experience and object perception. Results add to our understanding of changes in motor planning abilities with age, and factors underlying these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric A Roy
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pamela J Bryden
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
When we reach to grasp something, we need to take into account both the properties of the object we are grasping and the intention we have in mind. Previous research has found these constraints to be visible in the reach-to-grasp kinematics, but there is no consensus on which kinematic parameters are the most sensitive. To examine this, a systematic literature search and meta-analyses were performed. The search identified studies assessing how changes in either an object property or a prior intention affect reach-to-grasp kinematics in healthy participants. Hereafter, meta-analyses were conducted using a restricted maximum likelihood random effect model. The meta-analyses showed that changes in both object properties and prior intentions affected reach-to-grasp kinematics. Based on these results, the authors argue for a tripartition of the reach-to-grasp movement in which the accelerating part of the reach is primarily associated with transporting the hand to the object (i.e., extrinsic object properties), the decelerating part of the reach is used as a preparation for object manipulation (i.e., prepare the grasp or the subsequent action), and the grasp is associated with manipulating the object's intrinsic properties, especially object size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Egmose
- a Department of Psychology , University of Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Simo Køppe
- a Department of Psychology , University of Copenhagen , Denmark
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Britten L, Coats R, Ichiyama R, Raza W, Jamil F, Astill S. Bimanual reach to grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175457. [PMID: 28384247 PMCID: PMC5383293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Injury to the cervical spinal cord results in bilateral deficits in arm/hand function reducing functional independence and quality of life. To date little research has been undertaken to investigate control strategies of arm/hand movements following cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). This study aimed to investigate unimanual and bimanual coordination in patients with acute cSCI using 3D kinematic analysis as they performed naturalistic reach to grasp actions with one hand, or with both hands together (symmetrical task), and compare this to the movement patterns of uninjured younger and older adults. Eighteen adults with a cSCI (mean 61.61 years) with lesions at C4-C8, with an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade B to D and 16 uninjured younger adults (mean 23.68 years) and sixteen uninjured older adults (mean 70.92 years) were recruited. Participants with a cSCI produced reach-to-grasp actions which took longer, were slower, and had longer deceleration phases than uninjured participants. These differences were exacerbated during bimanual reach-to-grasp tasks. Maximal grasp aperture was no different between groups, but reached earlier by people with cSCI. Participants with a cSCI were less synchronous than younger and older adults but all groups used the deceleration phase for error correction to end the movement in a synchronous fashion. Overall, this study suggests that after cSCI a level of bimanual coordination is retained. While there seems to be a greater reliance on feedback to produce both the reach to grasp, we observed minimal disruption of the more impaired limb on the less impaired limb. This suggests that bimanual movements should be integrated into therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Britten
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Rachel Coats
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Ronaldo Ichiyama
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Wajid Raza
- Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, United Kingdom
| | - Firas Jamil
- Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Astill
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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