Which sequence best describes typical motor development in infants?

• A. Specific to general
• B. General to specific
• C. Random and inconsistent
• D. Simultaneous development of all skills

Answer: (B)

Infants typically move from broad, overall control to more refined, precise movements. Early months emphasize gross motor skills—lifting the head, gaining trunk and neck control, rolling, sitting with support, standing, and eventually walking—using large muscle groups to achieve general movement. As they mature, these general patterns are refined into finer actions: reaching with the whole hand, then grasping objects, followed by more precise finger manipulation and pincer grips. This general-to-specific progression makes sense biologically, as the nervous system first establishes broad postural and motor control before isolating and coordinating smaller, independent movements. The idea that development happens randomly or all at once doesn’t fit the typical, observable sequence, and moving from specific to general would imply the opposite trajectory.