Twenty infants were observed at home interacting with their mothers, fathers, and an unfamiliar investigator when they were 15, 18, 21, and 24 months of age. (Author/JMB)

Face-to-face interaction between 26 infants and their mothers and a relatively unfamiliar figure was observed longitudinally in the home environment when the infants were between 6 and 15 weeks of age. Normative findings indicated that infants became more responsive over this time period, whereas maternal behavior did not change. (Author/JMB)

Discusses the significance of emotional communication and social referencing of the mother by her infant as determinants of the infant's affective reactions to other social figures in the environment. (PCB)

Adults (either mothers or strangers) presented unfamiliar foods to 1- to 4-year-olds individually in their homes. Childrens' acceptance of the food was examined when the adults were eating and when they were simply offering the food. It was concluded that social facilitation could account for the data obtained. (Author/GO)

In a study of attachment behavior 10-month-old infants were observed under three conditions: with the mother, with an adult female stranger, and when both were present. Infants directed more social responses to the mother, but the stranger evoked more exploration behavior than distress. (ST)

Investigated the autonomic reactions (heart rate and skin conductance) of 17 mothers of five-month-old infants to two landscape scenes and four types of videotaped segments depicting their own baby and an unfamiliar baby smiling or crying. (JMB)

Examined patterns of children's inhibition and the behavior of their mothers, who were either well or depressed, in nonsocial and social situations that were unfamiliar. Children of unipolar depressed mothers were most inhibited. Boys were more inhibited to a new environment, and girls to a new person. Results suggested that encounters with the…

A model of infant social behavior is developed which incorporates attachment to the familiar and fear of strangers as well as detachment from the familiar and exploration of the stranger. (JMB)

The general proposition of attachment theory is that attachment is grounded in an independent, biologically based system. The quality of primary attachment relationships strongly influences a child's early personality organization, particularly the concept of self and others. The theory emphasizes the primary status and biological function of…

Characteristic patterns of infant-parent relationships were examined in a sample of Black infants presumed to be at low risk for psychopathological development. Infant responses toward parents and a stranger in a structured laboratory play session were analyzed to determine normative patterns of Black infant-parent attachments. Infant exploratory…

To assess the validity of attachment scores derived from the Ainsworth "strange situation", 56 1-year-olds and 79 2-year-olds accompaned by either the mother, the father, or a brief acquaintance were studied. Proximity to the adult, duration of play, crying, activity, and the incidence of looks and distance bids were measured. (Author/CS)

This study identifies elements in the attachment behaviors of 7-month infants which predict the quality of their attachment to their mothers at 13 months. At 7 months 147 infants were observed (and videotaped) during a free play period with their mothers present, during a separation from their mothers and then during a reunion period. At 13 months…

Critically evaluates knowledge about relations between early interaction, the "strange situation," and later social behavior in normal and atypical infants including premature infants, abused or neglected infants, and the infants of depressed mothers. Attributes equivocal relations between early interaction behaviors and later attachment…

Investigated three-month-olds' abilities to discriminate and recognize smiling and frowning expressions of mothers and strangers. Discrimination and recognition occurred regardless of the adult who was involved; however, more infants discriminated the mothers' expressions than the strangers', and boys looked at their mothers' faces longer than did…