Suggests that the findings in the study by Blass and Ciaramitaro reported in this monograph support the claim that two systems of infants' behavior state regulation accessible by oral stimulation are mediated by different neural pathways. Discusses the findings in light of the immediate aims of the study itself and for the broader context of…

Discusses two problems in the study by Blass and Ciaramitaro reported in this monograph: (1) whether the measurement of behavior states as "on-off" or "graded" captures a behavioral process or reflects the measurement itself; (2) whether the term "state" explains findings as a single function that may be better…

Discusses ways in which Myron Hofer's work (1987), which draws on studies of rodents and primates, alters the traditional perspective on human attachment. Emphasizes the importance of the component of attachment that does not develop in explaining attachment in the first six months of life. (PCB)

Provides a foundation for future experimental research on the origins in mother-infant interaction of sex differences in the development of a separate sense of self. Suggests that sex differences in the experience of a separate sense of self begin to emerge in early infancy and that mothers engage in different types of contact with sons and…

In his article "The 'Effects' of Infant Day Care Reconsidered," Jay Belsky (see PS 017 108) concludes that maternal employment puts infants at risk for developing emotional insecurity and social maladjustment. After a review of Belsky's and other research, a different conclusion is offered in this paper. It is agreed that infants whose…

The Mutual Regulatory Model is used to describe the infants' dual task of regulating simultaneously his internal emotional state and his engagement with the external environment. (Author/BB)

This article proposes that intuitive behaviors may be used to detect and resolve potential conflict in mother-infant relationships. Previewing, in which the caregiver introduces the infant to the physical sensations and interpersonal meaning of a new developmental skill, is suggested as a way of moving the mother-infant relationship in the…

Parent/infant bonding is discussed in this study review. Bonding is defined prior to a discussion of research that places the concept in historical perspective. The discussion of research since 1950 focuses on Bowlby, Klaus and Kennell, Helfer, Mahler and Rheingold, and Brazelton. Attention is given to the capacities of the newborn, child abuse,…

Discusses the realtionship between toddler behavior and quality child care, and compares the care given to 18-month-old children in home care and center care situations. (CM)

Two articles discuss problems that infant caregivers deal with in their work place. The first article provides ideas on how to take care of and pacify a crying baby; the second discusses the experience of a caregiver in a group child-care situation which involved her own child, noting the transition from infant room to toddler room. (AA)

An aim of many students of human development is to penetrate behavioral variability in such a way as to reveal stable phenomena. This broad aim is challenged on numerous fronts when researchers study infant behavior, for students of infants are everywhere confronted with variability. But, in the context of research, variability of subjects'…

Cites research on smiling and laughter to illustrate a dynamic systems approach to emotion communication. Maintains that emotion is relational and not individual; the nonreflexive aspects of emotion involve the connection between a person and a context taken as a whole. Presents findings regarding social processes involved in smiling and laughter…

Conference papers and discussions presented in this volume reflect recent research results that suggest the human infant is not a tabula rasa but an organism endowed at birth with an array of capabilities. Contents focus on several issues, including the possibility that infants have a rich affective life from their earliest days and that even…