2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Development of predictive behaviors : Memory and inhibitory mechanism in infancy

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21800012
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Cognitive science
Research Institution	The University of Tokyo
Principal Investigator	WATANABE Hama The University of Tokyo, 大学院・教育学研究科, 特任准教授 (00512120)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2010
Keywords	発達 / 乳児 / 予測 / 記憶 / 抑制 / 眼球運動 / 身体運動 / 脳機能
Research Abstract	Development of infant memory and inhibitory mechanisms based on predictive behaviors was examined using measurements of eye movements by an eye tracker system, body movements by a three-dimensional motion analysis system, and cortical functional responses by a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Results from infants under the first year of life suggest that (1) infants can inhibit irrelevant information and select appropriate information depending on circumstances, (2) they can also control their behaviors using predictions, and (3) these flexible behaviors based on prediction are realized by activation/deactivation system in infant brain.