Parental Perspectives and Infant Motor Development: An Integrated Ecological Model

Abstract

Infant motor development has traditionally been studied through child-centered frameworks that often overlook the vital role parents play in shaping early outcomes. This paper provides a renewed ecological approach, foregrounding parental perspectives-knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, theories, and expectations-and examining how they directly and indirectly guide infants' motor trajectories. Drawing on cross-cultural evidence, we illustrate how differences in parental priorities and caregiving behaviors can either accelerate or delay the emergence of crucial motor skills. We also highlight the reciprocal relationship between parent and child: while parental views shape caregiving practices, children's developing abilities and behaviors can, in turn, alter their parents' perspectives. Building on existing theories, including Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and dynamic systems theory, our integrated model situates the parent-child dyad within broader socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental contexts. This model shows the dynamic, ever-evolving interplay between parents and children and demonstrates the importance of aligning parental cognition with targeted interventions to optimize motor development. By examining how cultural norms, individual experiences, and contextual factors converge, this paper offers both a theoretical framework and practical implications for supporting infants' growth. This paper will inform future research by encouraging parent-focused developmental studies and guiding practitioners to design culturally informed interventions in the field of motor development.

Keywords: ecological systems theory; infant development; motor development; parental beliefs; parental cognitions; parental influence.

Figure 1

Integrated model of parent–child dyad in motor development. Note: This figure illustrates the new integrated model that places the parent–child dyad within an ecological framework, emphasizing the dynamic interplay among parental perspectives, parental behaviors, and children’s behaviors. It highlights the evolving nature of these interactions and demonstrates the importance of environmental contexts in shaping motor outcomes.

Figure 2

Illustrations informing the integrated framework. Note: This figure presents four illustrations that inspired the development of the proposed integrated framework. (a) is taken from Bornstein and colleagues [5], and demonstrates how parental cognition shapes parenting practices, which in turn influence child outcomes. (b) is taken from Iverson [30], and illustrates the developmental cascade model, where a child’s motor development influences their surroundings, including parental behaviors. (c) is taken from Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory [45], and situates a child within a series of systems, from immediate family to broader societal norms, all of which impact the child’s development bidirectionally. Finally, (d) is taken from Vélez-Agosto and colleagues [48], and includes the revised ecological model, which moves cultural factors into the microsystem. These models together serve as the theoretical foundation for the proposed model.

Figure 3

Components of the integrated model and ecological influences. Note: This figure series builds cumulatively to depict the integrated model. Each subfigure (a–d) introduces a distinct element, clarifying how parental perspectives, behaviors, child behaviors, and ecological context interact progressively. (a) shows how parental perspectives shape parental behaviors and indirectly influence children’s behaviors. (b) reveals the direct impact of parental behaviors on children’s motor development not directed by their perspectives. (c) focuses on children’s behaviors, emphasizing the reciprocal nature of the parent–child relationship, where children’s actions can influence parental behaviors and perspectives. (d) introduces the ecological layer, which is unique to each parent–child dyad, illustrating how these broader environmental contexts affect them.