How perception, action, functional value, and context can shape the development of infant reaching

The development of reaching in infancy has been the focus of much research attention for many decades. Several accounts have been put forth to explain the processes leading to the emergence of this fundamental behavior. In recent years, however, the dynamic systems, neuronal group selection, and approximate optimal control perspectives have contributed to offer a more comprehensive account of how reaching emerges and forms in early infancy. Furthermore, these contemporary theories provide insights into the concept of developmental trajectories, in which action, perception, functional values, and context play an important role in shaping the emergence and development of infant behavior. In this review, we briefly present the main tenets of two major past theories used to account for the development of reaching in infancy. Then, we focus on the theoretical concepts brought about by the more contemporary perspectives. We provide examples of developmental trajectories in support of these more recent perspectives. We emphasize that one commonality across these contemporary perspectives is the importance of repeated cycles of perception and action, which aid in the exploration and selection of successful reaching movements over time.