On the stability and flexibility of walking patterns in 4–6 year olds and adults

Learning to walk is a protracted process lasting well into childhood. Extensive research has studied how infants and children control their bodies when walking in unobstructed environments. However, little is known about how young children manage to navigate in cluttered environments like when obstacles are located in the walking path. In this experiment, we aimed to explore the levels of stability (consistency) and flexibility (adaptability) in the walking patterns of children and adults. To do so, we placed three distinct barriers (a foam obstacle, a gap, and a single step up) in the walking paths of 4- and 6-year olds and adults and observed their walking patterns before they crossed the obstacles. We found strong age-related increases in walking pattern stability and flexibility. Our results support the dynamic systems perspective and indicate that movement flexibility emerges based upon the interactions between the constraints of the individual performer and the task demands. Likewise, our results suggest that it takes many years for children to be able to seamlessly adapt their movement patterns to accommodate the demands associated with navigating through a cluttered environment