This project involves an examination of the development of how infants learn to use their hands to perform actions using both hands at the same time (a role differentiated bimanual manipulation).
To examine this, we are looking at videos of infants playing with toys. We watch to see which hand is holding the toy and which hand is manipulating, or moving the toy.
A current project involves examining how quickly an infant performs simple and difficult actions with toys depending upon the infant’s handedness. Previous projects have shown us that infants with a stronger handedness perform manual tasks more easily (Marcinowski, Campbell, Faldowski, & Michel, 2016). If handedness plays a role in an infant’s ability to perform a manual task, it may be important to encourage the development of a skill in one hand.
Students who work on this project spend their time watching videos of infants who have been recorded as they play with a series of toys. While they watch the videos, students use a software program to label the actions that they observe the infant performing.
Students involved in this project are also very active in presenting this research at both national and international conferences!
Marcinowski, E. C., Campbell, J. M., Faldowski, R. A., & Michel, G. F. (2016). Do hand preferences predict stacking skill during infancy?. Developmental psychobiology, 58(8), 958-967.