Early stages of initiative and environmental response

Bibliographic Data

ID11277006
AuthorsJoachim Hoffmann (Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Ecología, corresponding author), J Miguel Hoffmann, Laura Popbla (Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Ecología), Constanza Duhalde (Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Ecología)
Year1998
Volume19
Issue4
Pages355-377
Publication date1998-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInfant Mental Health Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-9641 • E-ISSN: 1097-0355
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/(sici)1097-0355(199824)19:4<355::aid-imhj1>3.0.co;2-v
OpenAlexW2001519471
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited14

Research results on the association between maternal response to infant' initiative and the development of such initiatives is being presented. This study is based on 239 feeding situations belonging to 41 mother–infant pairs videotaped at home at 30-day intervals, from the beginning of spoon-feeding until 1 year of age. The results showed that the basic hypotheses of this study were confirmed. There was a clear association between maternal responses to initiatives of the infant and four variables: Initiatives, Attempted Initiatives, Aversive Behavior, and Conflictivity. A favorable maternal response went along with more initiatives, fewer Attempts, less Aversivity, and less Conflictivity. Conflictivity was understood as reciprocal exchange of antipathetic reactions such as opposition, disgust, and hostility. Therefore, conflicts show struggle and confrontation between both members of the interaction. Aversivity is the infant's sole reaction to disgust, distaste, or opposition. As the infant risks confrontations with the care-giver to sustain her initiatives, we can say that, although highly influentiable by maternal response, Initiative is a contribution of the infant to her own development. Thus, in our view, a developing self shows an emerging capacity to initiate actions of his/her own. This becomes a relational issue as soon as the infant's initiative hits the interactional field, causing an environmental response that ultimately will allow or impede initiative. In case of impediments, the strong reaction of the infant will produce an impact upon the progressive stages of construction of the relationship, and certainly will be influential upon the further development of the infant's self.

Anger · Developmental psychology · Disgust · Hostility · Infant development · Opposition (politics) · Political science · Politics · Reciprocal · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Child and Animal Learning Development · Psychology · Social Psychology

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