3-143 - Investigating Infant-directed Actions: Quantifications, Mechanisms, and Learning

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Learning through observation is fundamental in acquiring new action skills during infancy and toddlerhood. Crucially, adults structure their action demonstrations in what is referred to as ‘motionese’ (Brand, Baldwin, & Ashburn, 2002). These infant-directed action modifications (e.g. exaggerated movements, prolonged pauses) affect infants’ attention (Brand & Shallcross, 2008) and hence likely yield profitable effects for action learning. Building on this initial evidence, the imperative next step is to systematically quantify how adults modify their actions and to investigate the mechanisms through which these modifications facilitate action understanding and learning.
This objective is addressed through a variety of techniques and approaches in four talks. The first uses 3D-motion-traking in live infant-parent interactions to provide a detailed quantification of infant-directed kinematics and their effects on subsequent learning. The second talk takes a robotics approach, showing evidence for increased visual saliency to goal-states in motionese and dynamic modifications of motionese based on robot- and infant-learner capabilities. With an outlook on learning benefits, the third talk systematically investigates the role of infant-directed action modifications on toddlers’ imitation. Finally, a theoretical account explores how motionese can facilitate action processing through enhancing predictability and highlighting action boundaries.
Taken together, this symposium illustrates the range of possible learning mechanisms through which motionese facilitates action learning. Stemming from four labs across three continents, this unique combination of experimental, robotics, and theoretical approaches sets the stage for essential crosstalk, providing a comprehensive evaluation of the how and why of motionese.

Sub Unit

• Attention, Learning, Memory

Chair

• Marlene Meyer, Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, & Behaviour

Individual Presentations

• Capturing Motionese: A Quantification of Infant-Directed Kinematics - Presenting Author: Johanna E van Schaik, Donders Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Marlene Meyer, Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, & Behaviour; Camila van Ham, Donders Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Sabine Hunnius, Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, & Behaviour

• Mutual Shaping of Motionese and Infants’ Action Learning: A Robotic Approach - Presenting Author: Yukie Nagai, Osaka University, Japan

• Benefits of Infant-Directed Action Pedagogy - Presenting Author: Rebecca Brand, Villanova University, US; Tifani Biro, Villanova University; Caitlin Dougher, Villanova University, US

• Motionese Enhances the Wave - Presenting Author: Dare Baldwin, University of Oregon; Jessica Kosie, University of Oregon, US