Children's activities with their mothers and the techniques used by mothers while interacting with their child were examined in older (30-46 month) and younger (12-27 month) low socioeconomic status preschool children from high risk (in terms of cultural-familial retardation) and contrast homes. (JMB)

Observational data collected in the homes of 17 abuse, 17 neglect, and 19 control families indicated that abusive and neglectful parents demonstrated lower rates of interaction overall and were more likely to emphasize the negative in their relationships with their children. (JMB)

Twenty-two mothers whose physiologic responses to infant signals had been recorded at an earlier date were videotaped with their infants during a feeding session when the infant was 9 months of age. Infants' development of the object concept was assessed at 15 months. (JMB)

Families were compared at one, three, and nine months to examine the effects of active or passive exposure to the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment. Either the mother or both parents were the target of the intervention. Assessments of interaction behavior between parents and infants revealed no effects of the experimental intervention.…

Three questions are addressed: (1) Are infants as young as six months capable of interacting with a peer? (2) What type of social acts are used during these early encounters? and (3) Do toys facilitate the interactions? (Author/MP)

A total of 134 mothers and their newborn infants were studied in order to evaluate the relationship between neonatal characteristics and mother-infant interaction. (SB)

Describes procedures for identifying stimuli in the natural environment whose presence was associated with altered probabilities for both the initiation and persistence of noxious responses. (Author/SDH)

Results suggested that preschool age siblings may facilitate mastery of the object environment by infants. (Author/JMB)

Oral responses of 180 male and female undergraduates to scenarios containing positive-loving, neutral-informational, and/or negative-rejecting male child communications were obtained. Responses were scored along 25 specific categories, as well as a global rating of acceptance/rejection of child. (Author/JMB)

Compares a female caregiver's interactions with children characterized as Type A, impatient and competitive, to her interactions with children who are characterized as patient and non-competitive, Type B. The effects of the caregiver's behavior patterns (Type A or B) on the interaction process are also analyzed. (JMB)

Results did not support previous work suggesting large amounts of communication failure in the spontaneous talk of 4-year-old children. (Author)