Environments “develop”: Infant motor development can inform the study of physical space

Abstract

Infant development is tied to the physical environment. Indeed, all infant behavior—movement, exploration, object play, social interaction—occurs in the context of a physical space. Nonetheless, researchers know surprisingly little about how the environments that infants inhabit come to be. Researchers in other fields of study (e.g., architectural design, urban planning, classroom curation, playground construction) have focused on space as a construct of interest and gleaned important information about interactions between the composition of spaces and the behaviors of those who occupy them. In particular, the organization of a space (its contents and layout) can both create and constrain opportunities for a host of behaviors for infants and children. This review presents an integrated synthesis of multiple literatures regarding the physical environment and its interactions with human behavior. I argue for a developmental approach for the study of how spaces develop; that is, how the spaces occupied by infants are changed over time by adult caregivers. Using several existing theoretical perspectives, I suggest a conceptual framework anchored to infant motor development—the process by which infants acquire new motor skills over time—as a model system for the study of infants’ developing spaces. Collectively, this review highlights the importance of considering space as part and parcel of infant development.