Multiple regression analyses using maternal attitudes during pregnancy, obstetric analgesic medication, and labor variables as predictors did not yield impressive relationships to neonatal behavior as measured two days after delivery. (JMB)

Fifty 4-month-old infants were habituated to one wavelength of light and then tested for recognition with the original and two new spectral lights. After short- and long-term delays with different types of retroactive interference, the results indicated that the infants' recognition memory for hue was quite resilient to interference or delay. (JMB)

Experimental social histories were created for 22 6-month-old infants by providing structured interactions with three different adults (a distal interactor, a proximal interactor, and a neutral interactor) over a three-week period. Infants' social preferences (looking and approaching) for each of the interactors were then compared. (Author/JMB)

Investigated in three studies were responses of 18- and 24-month-old children to a series of commands. Results suggest that a potent incentive for obeying commands lies in the pleasure very young children take in fitting their actions to the words of others. This pleasure sustains subsequent reenactment of the actions without commands. (Author/RH)

Investigates the use of the Bayley Infant Behavior Record (IBR) with premature and full-term infants. Analysis of the two discriminant functions obtained from the discriminant analysis appear to substantiate the claim that the IBR is an index of cognitive test-taking behaviors, which can be used reliably with preterm and full-term infants.…

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.…

Fifty-three infants were observed at 6 and 12 months during two 24-minute play sessions and administered Bayley Scales of Infant development at 6 and 12 months and McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities at 30 months. Findings indicated that infant behaviors predicting competence change with age; mastery behavior appears to predict development…

Investigates psychophysiological reactions of 60 women to an infant's cry and to a control sound. The 30-second pain cry evoked greater cardiac and electrodermal activity than did the control stimulus, although selected groups varied in the nature and extent of their reactions. Both maternal state and experience with infants affected reactions.…

A series of investigations were conducted to determine whether reflexive crying occurs in newborns and to define the parameters that control his behavior. (NH)

Investigates spatial orientation of infants, comparing behavior in the laboratory to behavior in the infant's home. Also investigates whether the infant relies on his body as a spatial reference system. (Author/SS)

A replication study of directed reaching in children. In response to a visual stimulus the arm and hand movements of infants were videotaped and analyzed to determine whether the position of the ball affected the direction of the infants' extensions. (Author/SS)

Looking preferences to visual temporal frequencies were examined in 77 infants at 3 ages (newborn, 1 month, and 4 months) in 3 conditions: less aroused (after feeding), more aroused-internal (before feeding), and more aroused-external (after feeding with 8 Hertz visual stimulation). Found that infants preferred faster stimuli when less aroused and…

Facial expressions were examined in 84 3-month-old infants of mothers classified as depressed, nondepressed, or low scoring on the Beck Depression Inventory. Infants of both depressed and low-scoring mothers showed significantly more sadness and anger expressions and fewer interest expressions than infants of nondepressed mothers. (Author/MDM)