Which statement about motor development in infants is true?

• A. Fine motor skills, such as picking up small objects, usually develop before gross motor skills like sitting up.
• B. Motor development occurs at the same rate for all children regardless of environmental influences.
• C. Gross motor skills, such as crawling and walking, typically develop before fine motor skills like grasping objects.
• D. Infants are born with fully developed motor coordination.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the difference between gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills involve large muscle groups and movements such as crawling, walking, and sitting up, while fine motor skills involve smaller muscle movements like grasping or picking up small objects.
2. Step 2: Recognize the typical sequence of motor development in infants. Generally, gross motor skills develop before fine motor skills because larger muscle control is foundational for smaller, more precise movements.
3. Step 3: Evaluate each statement based on developmental psychology principles: Fine motor skills usually develop after gross motor skills, motor development rates can vary due to environmental factors, infants are not born with fully developed motor coordination, and gross motor skills typically precede fine motor skills.
4. Step 4: Identify the true statement by comparing it to established developmental milestones: Gross motor skills such as crawling and walking typically develop before fine motor skills like grasping objects.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct statement is the one indicating gross motor skills develop before fine motor skills, reflecting the natural progression of motor development in infants.