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David Witherington
Degree Received Emotional development; perception-action development; development of intentionality and self in infancy. Current research focus in emotional development centers on the development of anger in infancy, longitudinally charting transformation in the organization of infant anger and investigating the processes by which transitions in infant anger occur. Current research focus in perception-action development centers on the early development of prospective control, or future-oriented action, with emphasis on how experience with newly developing motor skills facilitates new levels of future-orientation in infant action. Specific projects involve study of visually-guided reaching in relation to anticipatory grasping and study of independent walking in relation to anticipatory postural adjustments during standing. In addition, new projects on the psychological consequences of walking experience and on the mechanisms underlying young infants' preference for attractive faces are now underway. Work in both emotional development and perception-action development targets the nature of intentional action in infancy and the development of an “ecological self” more broadly. |
