Body scaling of grip configurations in children aged 6-12 years

This study examined the influence of body scale on the grip configurations used by young children (6-12 years old) to displace cubes that varied syste matically size (L) and mass (M). It was determined if the scaling relation we had developed for adults K = log L-c + log M-c/a + bL(h) + cM(h) where L -c and M-c is the length side and mass of the cubes, respectively, and L-h and M-h are the length and mass of the hand, respectively, it would also pr edict the change in grip configurations across this age range in a fashion consistent with the principle similitude. The statistical and scaling analy ses revealed that the invariant body-scaled relation that specified the adu lt grip transitions also held for the 6- to 12 year-old children. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 36:301-310, 2000.