The current study distinguishes between attributions of goal-directed perception (i.e. attention) and non-goal-directed perception to examine 9-month-olds' interpretation of others' head and eye turns. In a looking time task, 9-month-olds encoded the relationship between an actor's head and eye turns and a target object if the head and eye turns…

This longitudinal study explored how gestures changed with with respect to speech as two children progressed from producing single words to producing two-word combinations. Two girls were followed from the production of only single words to their first production of two-word combinations. One child was followed from 14.5 to 18 months; the second…

This study compared the reinforcement effects of imitation to the elicitation effects of noncontingent maternal vocal stimulation. Subjects were 17 three- to six-month-old infants and their mothers. Infants received three successive experimental conditions: contingent imitation B1, noncontingent elicitations, and contingent imitation B2. Under the…

Presents a description of a neonatal monitoring system and the studies used in its validation. (SDH)

Infants' visual perception of number change was investigated in three studies. These studies focused on infants' perception of events in which the total number of objects in a small group was changed through addition of another object. Involving 60 infants 5 months of age, Study I attempted to determine whether subjects perceived the properties in…

Because parents-to-be in Santa Barbara needed hands-on, practical assistance prior to the birth of their child, Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) volunteers organized the Baby Basics program. Like all PEP services, Baby Basics is a supplement to, but not a substitute for, medical advice. Part 1 of this guide describes the history, philosophy,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the alternative forms of young children's help-seeking in free play and problem-solving contexts. A total of 72 children aged 18 (N=36) and 24 (N=36) months were observed in pairs in free play and problem-solving settings, as well as in different social contexts--same-age versus mixed-age pairing. Both…

Discussed are methodological aspects of three symposium papers on process approaches to individual differences in infancy. Fagan's (1987) research is viewed as an important contribution to the growing literature that demonstrates that process measures, that is, information processing behaviors, may provide a useful reflection of early to later…

A total of 80 infants who were 7 months old were asked to discriminate happy and surprised expressions based on compound or component changes in the eyes, mouth, or entire face. Four stimuli were employed: black and white photographs of a Caucasian female modeling happy and surprised expressions, and two hybrid expressions created by transposing…

Observations were made of the incidence of pointing behavior among infants differing in age when a radio-controlled truck entered the room in which mother and infant were seated. Infants' reactions over 5 to 6 minutes were recorded on videotape. Recordings were analyzed to establish the incidence of pointing, handedness of pointing, whether…

The purpose of this study was to longitudinally examine the development of anticipatory visual search and to find out the effects of preceding experiences upon the search during the second year of life. The sample consisted of 18 Japanese firstborn nonretarded children from middle-class families who were individually tested at 11, 12, 14, 16, 22,…

In this study of the visual placing response (an extension of the paws or arms on approach to a visual surface), infants extended their arms almost as much to a gray surface as to a patterned one. (Author/CS)

Subjects of this study were 19- and 23-week-old infants. Results showed that the older infants demonstrated differential attention to novel over familiar stimuli during recognition tests. An examination of their responsiveness during familiarization presentations indicated differing trends of looking activity. (Author/CS)

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