In order to identify antecedents of infant's compliance with mothers' directions on how to solve four tasks (graded in terms of stressfulness to the infant), 194 high-risk mothers and their 2-year-old children were observed on videotape and assessed with a six-point rating scale. Data collected prenatally and postnatally at 3, 6, 12 and 18 months of age were used in multiple regression analyses to identify antecedents of compliance. Maternal personality variables, infant characteristics assessed shortly after birth and mother/infant interaction variables assessed at 6 months were related minimally to compliance. The quality of mother-infant attachment (assessed with the Ainsworth-Wittig (1969) Strange Situation procedure) at 12 and 18 months did predict compliance at 24 months. Securely attached infants were significantly more compliant than anxiously attached infants. (Author/RH)