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 paper reports an 18-month investigation of the differential effects of social context (i.e., characteristics of people in the child's immediate environment) on infants' positive social behavior. The social behaviors of 14 children from 1 to 2-1/2 years of age were observed at home and in a laboratory playroom. The social context was varied…

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,…

The Ainsworth-Wittig strange situation was used to compare 12 42-month-old children with approximately 6 months of day care experience to individually matched children who had not had group child rearing experience. Results did not support the idea that day-care experience impairs attachment to the mother. (JMB)

Discusses efforts to inform young children about sexual abuse. Points out that what caregivers do in everyday interactions with children is of greater value than lessons about child abuse. (NH)

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)

Examined home-reared and institutionalized infants in Greece to find sex differences in social-vocal behaviors as assessed by Differential Vocal Responsiveness (DVR) to mother/caretaker versus stranger interactions. Results suggest that early differences in vocal-interactional patterns, and possibly cognitive processing, may be attributable to…

Six infants were filmed at 15 and 30 weeks of age while alone and in the presence of an adult (mother or stranger) who interacted with the infant or remained passive. Signal detection analysis of ratings made by judges showed that infant behavior at both ages varied in accord with whether or not an adult was present. (Author/DB)

Differences in attachment, affiliative, and exploratory behaviors in the presence of substitute caregivers v a stranger were examined in light of differences in the physical quality of centers and the level of caregiver involvement. (Author/MP)

Describes several experiments, many designed to discover the public's response to unusual situations, conducted by college students in a public affairs reporting class. (TJ)

Advocates renewed efforts toward assessing attachment on a single continuum of emotional security. Contends that theory is essential to guide attachment assessment and that the constructs of secure base and emotional security provide the needed conceptual foundation. Addresses challenges to the scoring of attachment on a security continuum.…

Assessed infants' attachment behaviors toward nonparental adults, including grandparents, other relatives, and family friends. Found that the extent of infants' attachment behavior to nonparental adults was related to infant-mother attachment behavior and to the nonparental adult's responsiveness in teaching and position in the mother's social…

Examines U.S. immigration laws, policies, and attitudes since 1798. Discusses the need to give social work students an understanding of this history to combat unrealistic hopes or cynicism. Proposes an educational approach that uses immigration laws and case records as primary sources. (SV)

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered to 96 expecting mothers. In a one-year followup, mothers were seen with their child in the Strange Situation procedure. Maternal representations of attachment from the AAI predicted infant-mother attachment patterns in the Strange Situation. (BC)