Event overview
Dr. Marko Nardini, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London
and
Dr. Dorothy Cowie, Institute of Neurology, UCL
Titles: Development of spatial cue integration and locomotor planning
Abstract:
In this talk we will present recent research on two aspects of visuo-spatial development. Spatial cue integration is the ability to combine information from multiple sources (e.g. visual and vestibular) to maximise accuracy on spatial tasks such as reaching to a target or relocating a hidden object. Previous research shows that adults can be "statistically optimal" in combining multiple information sources appropriately to improve spatial accuracy. By contrast, our developmental studies show that in a range of tasks and modalities, children aged below 10 years do not improve spatial accuracy when multiple cues are available. Young children may not be able to integrate spatial information optimally, or may set a response criterion that is not optimal for maximising accuracy.
The second set of studies concerns locomotor planning, where we combine visual information and knowledge of our own body state to achieve an appropriate a path or step through the environment. We examine these processes in two situations. First we show that young children are able to plan the kinematics of a single step down a stair with high accuracy, but only when visual feedback is present. Second we show that they are able to plan a path across a pretend 'river' to a lesser degree than adults. Taken together these results suggest that while locomotor planning based on transient visual cues develops early, longer-range planning only emerges later in childhood.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Dec 2008 | 4:00pm - 5:30pm |
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