Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T19:23:40.485Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

There may not be an A-not-B error

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2005

Thomas A. Stoffregen*
Affiliation:
Human Factors Research Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455http://education.umn.edu/kin/research/hfrl/Personnel/stoffregen.html

Abstract:

In the A-not-B situation children reach toward location A when the object is at location B. Researchers interpret this as an error. I question this interpretation. Reaches are inaccurate only if the intention actually is to obtain the hidden object. If this is not the goal, then reaching for A may be accurate and there may be no error to be explained.

Type
Continuing Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Commentary onEsther Thelen, Gregor Schöner, Christian Scheier, & Linda B. Smith (2001). The dynamics of embodiment: A field theory of infant perseverative reaching. BBS 24(1):1–86.

References

James, W. (1950) The principles of psychology. Dover. [Original work published in 1890] [TAS]Google Scholar
Piaget, J. (1954) The construction of reality in the child. Basic Books. [M-DG]Google Scholar
Sasaki, M., Mishima, H., Suzuki, K. & Ohkura, M. (1995) Observations on microexploration in everyday activities. In: Studies in perception and action III, ed. Bardy, B. G., Boostma, R. J. & Guiard, Y., pp. 99102. Erlbaum. [TAS]Google Scholar
Sasaki, M., Suzuki, K., Mishima, H., Shinohara, K. & Hannya, M. (1998) Microslips of action and development of behavior in infants. Japanese Journal of Medical Electronics and Biological Engineering 12:5768. [TAS]Google Scholar
Schöner, G., Kopecz, K. & Erlhagen, W. (1997) The dynamic neural field theory of motor programming: Arm and eye movements. In: Self-organization, computational maps, and motor control, ed. Morasso, P. G. & Sanguineti, V.. Elsevier. [M-DG]Google Scholar
Varela, F. J. (1989) Connaître les sciences cognitives. Editions du Seuil. [M-DG]Google Scholar