A study was conducted to examine the situational generality of extended learning in early infancy. Ss were 17 infants within one week of eight weeks of age. All but two were Caucasian, and all were from middle-income families. The apparatus consisted of a pressure sensing pillow which, when placed under the infant's head or feet, was sensitive to…

Following a review of research on the effects of early experience upon subsequent cognitive and intellectual development, an alternative Piagetian-based strategy for the study and evaluation of these concerns is presented. Using this paradigm, infants were observed naturalistically for one year. The observations were coded according to the four…

Investigates whether 6- to 12-month-old infants' exposure to the successful search behavior of a sibling in two object-concept tasks would enhance infants' subsequent performance on these tasks. (HOD)

A factor analysis was conducted on Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) item scores of low-income black and white urban mothers of infants 13 to 30 months of age to determine the extent to which the existing subscales were evident in this factor analysis.

Discusses the audio and video-recorded longitudinal data from six infants with varying degrees of vision. The findings indicate that there are basic differences in early language, which appear to reflect differences in cognitive development. (SL)

Reviews the effects of malnutrition during pregnancy and before the age of three on children's brain development and subsequent mental development. Describes marasmus, kwashiorkor, and the incidence of malnutrition in South Africa. Discusses the relationship between the culture of poverty, malnutrition, and illegitimacy. Urges South Africans to…

The relationship of maternal behavioral style to cognitive development states of 60, 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old organically impaired, mentally retarded children was investigated. Factor analysis of maternal behavioral items revealed three major parameters of behavior. Child-Oriented/Maternal Pleasure was related positively, whereas Quantity of…

The paper reviews research on the issue of continuities and discontinuities in development, focusing on affective and cognitive-motivational aspects. The theoretical view of Rene Spitz is reviewed. Findings comparing abused/neglected and perinatal risk infant populations with normal infants illustrate differences in both affective and…

The phenomenon of fear of strangers (FS) is reviewed in light of recent findings in neurophysiology, ethology, developmental and cognitive psychology. (Author/TW)

Relates studies of the effects of pre- and post-natal and childhood malnutrition on physical and mental development. Discusses national and international nutrition problems and solutions. (DR)

Experiment one tested 9- and 16-month-old children on a modification of Piaget's Stage IV object permanence task, examining infants' use of information from previous experiences with an object and from a recent hiding to locate a hidden object. In experiment two, two-, two-and-a-half-, and four-year-old children additionally received verbal…

Evaluates the degree to which the social-referencing perspective provides a valid explanation of some features of infant behavior. (MP)

Provides evidence indicating a strong connection between a high level of ambient household noise and intellectual deficits at stages of infant development. Observers rated noise level from all household sources (stereos, appliances, etc.). Delays were found in sensorimotor development with high levels of noise. (Author/JN)

Examines the development of infants' ability to begin recognizing novel referents of common object names. In particular, the present experiment investigated the development of 12- to 20-month-old infants' ability to infer that an unfamiliar but categorically related object can be designated by a newly learned name for the object class. (Author/RH)