A twin analysis was applied to infants' social behavior in standardized situations that permitted the comparison of social responding to mother and a stranger in different contexts. Twenty-one identical twin pairs and twenty-five fraternal twin pairs were observed in their homes using time-sampled observations of specific behaviors. (Author/SS)

Examines two models of the compelling nature of the infant cry and its effectiveness in eliciting caregiving behavior. (MP)

Two groups of six 3-month-old infants participated in a study to investigate the effect of social stimulation on infants' vocalizations. (MS)

A total of eighty 9-month-old infants were presented with a problem consisting of several different conditions which separated response, position on a table, and absolute spatial position as factors leading to errors in search for hidden objects. (MS)

Used multilevel analyses to examined the amounts of time infants spent asleep, awake, content, feeding, fussing, and crying at 2, 6, 12, and 40 weeks of age. Found that day-to-day fluctuations accounted for between 44 and 53% of the variance in amounts of time sleeping, fussing, and crying. (MDM)

Describes various types of play typical of infants and toddlers. Includes discussion of the developmental benefits of object play, social play, motor play, and imitation. Focuses on the concept of causality, toddler-invented games, repeated movement to gain mastery, and the beginnings of dramatic play. (KB)

Discusses how Adolph's research is relevant to four themes that are foundational to contemporary research on the development of perception and action: (1) reciprocity between perception and action; (2) prospective control of behavior; (3) variation and selection in the development of new behaviors; and (4) contributions of age and experience.…

Discusses Adolph's research on locomotion with regard to the requirements of an ecological psychology, especially the use of control laws; her examination of individual styles and normative patterns as it reflects a dynamic systems perspective; and her use of cognitive processes of decision making in explaining why infants approach or avoid a…

Evaluates the reliability and validity of a parental involvement measure using a group of mothers and 15-month-old infants (N=137). Factor analysis revealed that the measure's four scales were internally consistent. Results indicate moderate to high test-retest reliability and substantial evidence of construct validity. (RJM)

Suggests strategies for caregivers to encourage peer interactions in infant/toddler programs. Strategies include helping children become familiar with surroundings and one another, maintaining social groups and friendships, varying the number and types of toys available at one time, controlling the number of children in a particular space, and…

A bootstrapping procedure was used to determine whether preverbal infants at 3- and 6-months sequenced (1) vocalizations, (2) gazes at their mothers' faces, and (3) facial expressions into pairs of coordinated patterns nonrandomly. Findings indicated that smiles and frowns were highly coordinated with vocalizations. Smiles were also coordinated…

Examined associations among infant caregivers' training and the quality of care they provide. Found through observation and rating of 50 Caucasian female caregivers that as infant caregiver training levels increased, so did mean scores on some dimensions of quality, such as personal care routines and learning activities. (EV)

One longitudinal and one cross-sectional study evaluated the interactive effects of endogenous and exogenous influences on infants' attention allocation by assessing the role of target familiarity on distraction latency during object exploration. Findings indicated that 9- and 10-month-olds, but not 6.5-month- olds, exhibited longer latencies as…

Two studies involving 108 infants of 6, 9, and 12 months showed that providing infants with multiple action-relevant properties elicits a rich action repertoire. (RJC)