The role of distal and proximal interaction in infant social preference formation.

Created experimental social histories for 22 24-wk-old infants to determine the role of distal and proximal interaction in social preference formation. Each S interacted with 3 different adults during a 3-wk period. The distal interactor smiled and talked to the infant. The proximal interactor rocked and patted the infant. The neutral interactor sat by the infant without responding in any way. During 9 preference tests, infants were allowed to move in a specially adapted walker toward any of the 3 interactors. During the 3 wks, infants increased the time spent near the distal interactor. In the 3rd wk, infants looked more at the distal interactor than at the proximal interactor, and spent more time near both distal and neutral interactors than near the proximal interactor. The separate roles of distal and proximal interaction in the formation of social preferences are discussed in terms of the different contributions infants can make to distal and proximal aspects of interaction. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)