ABSTRACT

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part proposes to show that motor development can be meaningfully placed within a general psychological framework. It shows that motor development can be meaningfully placed within a general psychological framework. The unfolding of motor skills, in terms of their forms and function, is remarkably similar across infants. Cross-cultural studies attest to the universal nature of this development. The part also shows that motor precocity in the first year is often thought to have long-term cognitive and social developmental effects. It suggests that motor precocity may be overrated in terms of its long-term effects on cognitive and social development. The part provides a different perspective on motor development from the usual one. It addresses the ability of young infants to discriminate and recognize faces and abstract patterns.