The Role of Culture Role in Motor Development

Abstract

Motor development is the process through which children acquire new motor skills and physical abilities, influenced by both biological and environmental factors, with culture being a key environmental factor. In Western developmental psychology, milestone research is commonly used to study motor development; however, traditional milestones are based primarily on a Western cultural context, neglecting cultural differences. This paper primarily analyzes cultural differences in infant motor development, focusing on four key milestones: sitting, crawling, standing, and walking. Through multiple research cases, it explores differences in maternal caregiving practices, parental beliefs about infant motor development, and other cultural factors, as well as how these differences affect the process and pace of motor development. The findings indicate that culture plays a significant role in infant motor development, with developmental speeds varying across cultural contexts. However, infants who develop more slowly do not necessarily exhibit deficiencies. Traditional motor milestones lack a cross-cultural perspective, and future research and policy development should account for cultural differences to gain a more comprehensive understanding of and support for infant motor development.