Time sampled observations of non-elicited behaviors, obtained for several hundred newborn babies were used to determine (1) whether specific motor patterns are state linked in the manner of spontaneous behaviors; (2) whether certain behaviors appear with greater frequency preprandially; and (3) whether associations between behaviors and states are…

Maternal and paternal responses to infant distress are studied to (1) examine differences among two-week-old infants in their levels of irritability; (2) investigate differences among parents in how they soothe their one-month-old infants; and (3) relate these parent and infant behaviors. (BJD)

Describes the structure of spontaneous episodes of dyadic play and suggests some of the basic abilities which underlie social play, based on observation of 36 15-20 minute videotaped play sessions involving groups of three children each, ages 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 years. (ED)

Data shows that the nursery school child will resort to rhythmic behavior more often in a situation with significant environmental constraints''; such behavior has an analgesic or a general soothing influence.'' (Author/SP)

Supports the hypothesis that temperamentally fussier 5- to 9-month-old infants are more fearful and less friendly toward strangers than are more easygoing infants of the same age. (MP)

Summarizes study findings related to the effects of continuous monotonous stimulation on sleep and its physiological parameters in early infancy. (ED)

Reports on an initial inquiry into children's compliant response inhibition, their tendencies to accomplish and maintain the inhibition of an attractive activity upon the request of an adult socialization agent. (Author/MP)

Designed to explore (1) developmental changes in exact and partial imitation of manual and facial movements, (2) model differences, and (3) gesture differences, this study observed infants at 2, 12, and 24 weeks of age. A hypothesis is proposed that links early nonselective behaviors and attributed imitation to emergence of imitative behavior…

Kindergarten and fourth-grade children participated in a study designed to assess the effects of number of models and type of behavior modeled on developmental differences of children's subsequent generosity. As predicted, generosity of younger children was affected by behavior of model(s) to a greater extent than was that of older children.…

In a study of relative priorities for interaction in groups containing adults and children, 570 family groups in public settings were observed for 10-second time periods. There was far more adult/child touching than adult/adult touching. Adults tended to talk more than children and talking was reciprocated at higher rates in adult/adult dyads than…

Critiques an environmentalist view of the effects of nature and nurture on behavior. Argues for an interactionist position in which nature and nurture are totally and inextricably involved in each and every organismic response. (MP)

The relations between young children's salivary cortisol level, patterns of behavior problems, and social behavior were explored in this study of 29 preschool-aged children with emerging behavior problems. Decreases in salivary cortisol during a play session with unfamiliar teachers and peers were associated with concurrent and subsequent…