Infant Mouthing Behavior During Naturalistic Home Observations Health & Human Sciences Academic Year 2023 Accepted Motor Development Whereas young infants frequently use oral exploration to explore objects, research investigating hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth behavior is limited and typically reflects infants being experimentally given specific toys to explore in a lab setting. To capture the naturalistic emergence of this behavior in infancy, we will be testing whether mouthing frequency and type change with age (ranging from 6- to 24-months) and motor stage (sit, crawl, pull-to-stand, “cruise”, walk) for objects (hands, toys, non-toy objects, pacifiers/teethers) in their home environment. The current study uses 1-hour home videos of infants’ and caregivers’ natural activity as they go about their daily routine. Undergraduate research assistants will be trained to use Datavyu, a video software program, used to analyze behavioral video data. Using Datavyu, undergraduate research assistants will create detailed video coding of infant mouthing and hand-to-floor/object behaviors including the occurrences of the onset and offset of each mouthing event; object category (hand(s), toys, non-toy objects, pacifiers/teethers); whether the hand/object touched the floor 10s prior to mouthing; infant posture (upright, sitting, laying prone/supine); and who initiated the mouthing event (parent, infant). Laura J Claxton Undergraduate research assistants will be trained to use Datavyu, a video software program, used to analyze behavioral video data. Using Datavyu, undergraduate research assistants will create detailed video coding of infant mouthing and hand-to-floor/object behaviors including the occurrences of the onset and offset of each mouthing event; object category (hand(s), toys, non-toy objects, pacifiers/teethers); whether the hand/object touched the floor 10s prior to mouthing; infant posture (upright, sitting, laying prone/supine); and who initiated the mouthing event (parent, infant). Undergraduates will have 6 hours of behavioral video coding a week. In addition, undergraduates will aid with recruitment of families to participate in the studies and attend weekly lab meetings with our local lab group and also our collaborators. GPA of 3.5 or higher.
https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/hk/Biomechanics-MotorBehavior/research/motor-development/ 3 9 (estimated)

This project is not currently accepting applications.