A behavioral interpretation of infant stepping

Abstract

Infant stepping is a controversial phenomenon which meaning for the development of the autonomic walking has been largely questioned. Two types of explanations had been proposed by different authors: a) neurological and physiological explanations, and b) behavioral or developmental perspectives. The former have been based upon the central or spinal control of infant developmental meaning of infant stepping. None of them had proposed a complete or conclusive explanation of this phenomenon until now. We show a different analysis based on a behavioral perspective. We try to answer the basic questions: Why an infant shows a consistent stepping pattern during several weeks after birth? Why infant stepping disappears after a few weeks? Why infant stepping continues in the infant repertoire if it is practiced along several months? Does infant stepping becomes an integral part of autonomic walking? We show that both, infant stepping and autonomic walking are different in nature and that any meaning of infant stepping depends upon its adaptational function.