This guide for parents discusses social competence in 2-year-old children, drawing upon anecdotal data to provide a sampling of 2-year-old children's social behavior and their parents' child rearing techniques. The data were collected from questionnaires, telephone interviews, and home visits in a 12-month study of the interactions of 86…

This study analyzes the interaction patterns and behavioral characteristics of mentally ill and well mothers and their young children. The children were between 1 and 4 years of age. The group of mentally ill mothers was comprised of 18 schizophrenic and psychotically depressed women each with a history of at least one psychiatric hospitalization.…

The ability of infants to recognize their mothers as distinct from others was investigated by presenting 6 boys and 6 girls at two age levels (5 weeks and 13 weeks) with the following six sequential stimulus conditions: (1) mother's face (MO); (2) stranger's face (SO); (3) mother's face with stranger's voice (MS); (4) stranger's face with mother's…

This study examined differences between premature and fullterm infants and their mothers in three areas: infant characteristics, early mother-infant interaction and mothers' emotional involvement when the child was 9 months old. Forty-nine low-income black mothers and their infants (26 prematures, 23 fullterms) participated in the study. In…

Evidence which suggests that pretend activities become increasingly independent of the presence of realistic objects is examined in this paper. Results of research on pretend behavior in children 1 1/2 - 2 years of age are described and analyzed. Striking changes in pretend behavior are shown to occur during the second year of life. Pretend play…

This study investigated at the age at which infants become able to discriminate between their mothers and females strangers, as measured by differential patterns of pauses during the infants' crying while being spoken to by their mothers and female strangers. The subjects, 14 infants ranging in age from 7 to 20 days, were fed, burped, and changed,…

This booklet uses both words and photographs to describe behavior patterns typical of children from one to two years old and to suggest home play activities appropriate for use with children of this age. The booklet is organized into four age ranges: 12-15 months, 15-18 months, 18-21 months, and 21-24 months. Within each of these sections, a…

This study examines serial habituation in a sample of 54 infants aged 2, 3, and 4 months to determine whether age changes are partially a function of different "strategies" rather than simply different rates of habituation. The serial habituation hypothesis proposes that attention and habituation of attention proceed in order of the relative…

This selective bibliography cites ERIC documents describing research on infants. Entires are taken from "Research in Education (RIE)" and "Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE)," 1972 through 1974. Descriptor (index) terms used to search the ERIC system include: Infants, Infancy, and Infant Behavior. (Author/CS)

This paper is designed as an information guide for those persons responsible for rearing human infants from birth to 18 months. The author provides an extensive review of the literature and trends of research in this area noting that the current volumes of knowledge in this area are not yet dependable enough to provide reliable bases for practice.…

Piagetian theory provides direction and support for an early identification, early intervention focus for special education of handicapped children. This focus includes guidance and training for parent and child to enhance their relationship and to facilitate the child's movement through normal developmental sequences in sensory-motor, cognitive,…

This study was designed to examine the nature of nonverbal social interaction between mothers and infants and to compare various situational effects. A total of ten 3-month-old twin infants (five male and five female) and their mothers were videotaped in their homes during free play, bottle feeding and spoon feeding situations. A repeated measures…

Proposes a model for cognitive development and the development of self efficacy in infancy. Examines the effects of two intervention programs in which caregiver responsiveness and amount of stimulation are varied. Subjects were 100 nine-month-old infants from working class families. (BD)

Discusses observations of sets of infant twins, aged 6 to 24 months, as they interacted with one another and with an unfamiliar peer. Assesses quality of infant-mother attachment. Finds twins are more likely to react with one another than with a peer. Results are discussed in relation to early peer relationships and attachment. (Author/RWB)

Twenty matched mother-infant dyads were studied one, two, and three months after expected date of birth. Full-term infants were more active than pre-terms at four weeks, and their interactions were related to maternal experiences. Mothers of pre-terms showed differences in their interactions at all times. Degree of neonatal illness was correlated…