TY - JOUR PY - 2013// TI - No bridge too high: Infants decide whether to cross based on the probability of falling not the severity of the potential fall JO - Developmental science A1 - Kretch, Kari S. A1 - Adolph, Karen E. SP - 336 EP - 351 VL - 16 IS - 3 N2 - Do infants, like adults, consider both the probability of falling and the severity of a potential fall when deciding whether to cross a bridge? Crawling and walking infants were encouraged to cross bridges varying in width over a small drop-off, a large drop-off, or no drop-off. Bridge width affects the probability of falling, whereas drop-off height affects the severity of the potential fall. For both crawlers and walkers, decisions about crossing bridges depended only on the probability of falling: As bridge width decreased, attempts to cross decreased, and gait modifications and exploration increased, but behaviors did not differ between small and large drop-off conditions. Similarly, decisions about descent depended on the probability of falling: Infants backed or crawled into the small drop-off, but avoided the large drop-off. With no drop-off, infants ran straight across. Results indicate that experienced crawlers and walkers accurately perceive affordances for locomotion, but they do not yet consider the severity of a potential fall when making decisions for action.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1363-755X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/desc.12045 ID - ref1 ER -