Relationships of infant/caretaker interaction with the social organization and the physical environment of the home were examined in rural Malay and Chinese families living in Malaysia. Findings are discussed in terms of the integration of behavioral characteristics, patterns of social organization, and arrangements of the physical environment…

Distress in response to brief maternal separations was examined in a sample of 93 predominantly home-reared infants using the Ainsworth strange situation paradigm. At 18 months, the age when separation protests begin to decline, securely attached infants are better able than anxiously attached infants to tolerate maternal separations. (Author/RH)

Examined whether an infant's reaction to a stranger would be indirectly influenced by the infant observing a stranger-third party interaction. Subjects were 45 15-month-old infants. Results suggest indirect effects influence social interactions and show that significant others can play an important role in mediating these effects. (Author/RH)

Defines life-span developmental psychology as the study of constancy and change in behavior throughout the life course. Advances metatheoretical view regarding development. Stresses focus on the dynamic and continuous interplay between growth (gain) and decline (loss). Examines structural contextual factors and study of range of plasticity in…

Describes observer-based technique for assessing auditory capacities of infants from three to 12 months of age. This technique, referred to as the Observation-based Psychoacoustic Procedure (OPP), combines features of the Forced-choice Preferential Looking Technique and of the Visual Reinforcement Audiometry. Pure-tone detection and frequency…

Study measures the precision of auditory localization in 26- to 30-week-old infants using the adult minimum audible angle test. Results show that infants discriminate sound displacements of about 19 degrees, considerably less accurate than adult values of one to two degrees. (Author/RWB)

Investigates the perceptual representation of speech by young infants using a modification of the high-amplitude sucking (HAS) procedure. Results demonstrate that the infants' representations preserve detailed information about both the consonantal and vocalic portions of the syllables. (Author/RWB)

Three experiments test object permanenece in 3 1/2- and 4 1/2-month-old infants, and use an impossible-possible-habituation event format. The 4 1/2-month-olds, and the 3 1/2-month-olds who were fast habituators, look reliably longer at the impossible than at the possible event. Results seriously question Piaget's (1954) claims regarding the age at…

Seven-month-old infants looked at pairs of slides of two and three objects while listening to either two or three drum beats. Study data call into question the suggestion that the influence of auditory information on infants' attentiveness to a visually presented numerical event is mediated by cross-modal matching of numerical information.…

Study looks at pigtailed macaque in the context of visual recognition problems adapted from a standardized test developed for use with human infants. Results demonstrate that the low-risk group easily differentiated novel from previously seen targets; the high-risk group gave no evidence of recognition. (Author/RWB)

Examines long-term effects of Cesarean birth using a stratified mixed-race random sample of Baltimore school children who began first grade in 1982. Looks at the beliefs and expectations of both the parents and children of Cesarean births. Higher expectations were the norm in comparison to children of non-Cesarean birth experiences. (Author/RWB)

Study uses two language conditions for evaluating ability in class inclusion. Estimates strategic components of performance on basis of differential consequences of inclusion logic, subclass comparison, and guessing. Results indicate children compare subclasses more frequently with a standard question and guess more frequently with a…

Videotape study of preschool children, two to five years of age, and adults who posed the six facial expressions of happiness, surprise, anger, fear, sadness, and disgust. Poses were scored using the MAX system. Results showed that consistent differences between partial and complete poses were observed for negative expressions. (Author/RWB)

Examines the relation between dyadic synchrony and child compliance during the toddler period. Demonstrates that children are more likely to comply with synchronous caregiver instructions than with asynchronous instructions. Discusses results in light of both cognitive and emotional factors of toddlers. (Author/RWB)

Compares the parent-child interactions of rejected, neglected, and popular boys aged three, four, and five years, in a paradigm emphasizing physical play. Results indicate the importance of the regulation of affect for social competence and illustrate strong links between the parent and peer social system. (Author/RWB)