Continuity of response to strange situations

201 CONTINUITY OF RESPONSE TO STRANGE SITUATIONS Beth Hoover Lanqhorst The purpose of this research mas to test the hypothesis that individua{ differences in infant's reactions to s t i l l - f a c e perturbations of interaction at 3 months predict the infant's reaction to Ainsmorth's Strange Situation paradigm at 12 months. Tmenty mother-infant dyads mere videotaped in a face-to-face p l a 9 and s t i l l - f a c e situation mhen the infants mere 3 months: and in the strange situation at 12 months. Measures at three months included duration of gaze during the s t i l l - f a c e t length of f i r s t fixation on mother, and a rating of coping/distress reaction based on facial expressions, vocalizations: body movements and tension releasing behaviors such as pamns,

At tmelve months measures mere focussed on the f i r s t minute of Episode 3t mhen the stranger entered but did not interact mith the mother or the infant. Infant referencing of mother or stranger and frequencing of checking betmeen mother and stranger mere coded. A rating of reaction to the strange situation mas based on distress displayed throughout and on completeness of recovery during the final episode. Infants mho averted gaze during the still-face mere more likely to seek reassurance from mother during the strange situation. Duration of gaze during still-face (DGSF) mas inversely related to frequency of checking betmeen mother and stranger (r:-.44t p(.05). Longer latencies to look at mother after the stranger entered mere positively predicted by FFIX (r:.44, p(,05). There mas a significant association betmeen ratings of reaction to the s t i l l - f a c e and the strange situation (~:25.49t p(.Ol).