ACT

Action research: Improving understanding and methodologies in early development

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The ACT Initial Training Network aims to establish a leading European training network devoted to investigating the interplay between action and cognition using a developmental approach. The ACT network represents a collective of scientific and industrial groups at the cutting edge of research in the fields of social development, developmental psychology, cognitive science, developmental neuropsychology, and computational science. The network will train PhD students and produce new technology to answer critical issues in our understanding of human development. A core assumption of the network is that development of perception, motivation, and cognition is grounded in, and develops through, our own actions (von Hofsten, 2004). We learn about our physical environment by actively engaging with the world. As we develop new action capabilities, new elements of the environment become salient to us. This process is especially prominent early in infancy when action capacities and an understanding of the world develop. The nature of developmental research demands a multi-method approach. As a result, we propose to rigorously train ESRs such that they obtain two or more techniques required to study the relationship between brain and behaviour in early social development. We will conduct research and training within and between academic and industry partners on the role of attention in action, prospective control, social interactions, and semantics in action. We will improve technologies so that movement analysis is possible with infants. We will also develop an eye tracking system that links to EEG and we will create tools that are designed specifically for infant EEG data. In addition to these major breakthroughs in our knowledge, we will provide a structured training programme for Early Stage Researchers that capitalizes on cross-European strengths that will produce cutting edge leaders within the field in a unique and timely interdisciplinary training programme.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Cutting-edge research in early social development can lead to a better understanding of human development overall. An EU initiative has gathered academia and industry to explore how infants interact with their environment.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Developmental research that studies the relationship between the brain and behaviour in infants demands an integrated approach that employs several methods and tools. What is more, the companies that develop such methods and tools and the researchers who use them do not work in partnership. The lack of cooperation severely limits breakthroughs in the field.

To overcome this issue, the EU-funded 'Action research: Improving understanding and methodologies in early development' (http://www.eu-act.org/ (ACT)) project is bringing together key industry partners and research institutions to establish a leading European network that trains doctoral students. By setting up an interdisciplinary training programme, the network aims to deliver new technology that will advance the state of the art in human development.

All PhD students began their research activities during the first project phase. They are using a developmental approach to explore the interaction between cognition and complex actions such as manual exploration and walking in infants.

ACT has already succeeded in establishing links between scientific and industrial stakeholders in the vanguard of European research on social development, developmental psychology, cognitive science, developmental neuropsychology and computational science. The objective is to create new tools for developmental research and to narrow the gap between small and medium-sized enterprises behind the manufacturing of research tools and those that buy these products.

The project is leveraging the scientific and business communities to strengthen European research in human and early development. Its training and support actions will lead to eminent scholars and researchers responsible for greatly contributing to the body of knowledge in this field.