Only self-generated actions create sensori-motor systems in the developing brain

Previous research shows that sensory and motor systems interact during perception, but how these connections among systems are created during development is unknown. The current work exposes young children to novel ‘verbs’ and objects through either (a) actively exploring the objects or (b) by seein...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental science 2011-07, Vol.14 (4), p.673-678
Main Authors: James, Karin Harman, Swain, Shelley N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Association
Auditory Perception
Auditory Perception - physiology
Brain
Brain - physiology
Brain Hemisphere Functions
Brain Mapping
Brain research
Child
Child development
Children
Cognition & reasoning
Correlation
Female
Frontal Lobe - physiology
Humans
Language
Learning
Learning - physiology
Male
Motor ability
Motor Reactions
Motor systems
Observation
Parietal Lobe - physiology
Psychomotor Skills
Sensorimotor integration
Sensory Integration
Sensory perception
Speech Acoustics
Verbs
Visual Perception
Visual Perception - physiology
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Summary:Previous research shows that sensory and motor systems interact during perception, but how these connections among systems are created during development is unknown. The current work exposes young children to novel ‘verbs’ and objects through either (a) actively exploring the objects or (b) by seeing an experimenter interact with the objects. Results demonstrate that the motor system is recruited during auditory perception only after learning involved self‐generated interactions with objects. Action observation itself led to above‐baseline activation in one motor region during visual perception, but was still significantly less active than after self‐generated action. Therefore, in the developing brain, associations are built upon real‐world interactions of body and environment, leading to sensori‐motor representations of both objects and words.
ISSN:1363-755X
1467-7687
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2010.01011.x