Mother-stranger discrimination in three-month-old infants and subsequent Gesell performance

The Journal of Genetic Psychology
K V Roe

Abstract

The amount of vocalization, motor activity, and smiling in response to vocal stimulation by the mother and by a stranger was recorded from 14 normal male infants when they were 3, 5, 7, and 9 months old. The Gesell Developmental Schedules were administered to them at age 9 months. High Gesell developmental quotient infants showed different vocalization and motor activity responses to the mother versus the stranger as early as 3 months. These differences diminished progressively to a minimum at 9 months. Low Gesell developmental quotient infants showed no differential responses to mother versus stranger. The results suggest that mother-stranger discrimination at age 3 months may be used as an indicator of subsequent cognitive development, and further suggest that bright babies may attain permanence for the mother's schema as early as 3 months of age.

References

Oct 1, 1966·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines·H R Schaffer

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Citations

Apr 1, 1982·Brain and Cognition·D R Van Lancker, G J Canter

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