Effects of stress and cohort on mother- and father-infant interaction.

MICHAEL E. LAMBUniversity of Wisconsin—MadisonTwenty 18-month-olds were observed interacting with their mothers and fathers ina structured laboratory setting. In an initial free-play session, infants directed moreaffiliative behaviors to their fathers than to their mothers. When observed alonewith each parent there was more parent-child interaction than when both parentswere present, though the same relative preferences emerged. However, the entry ofa stranger caused infants to seek proximity to their mothers preferentially. Thewariness occasioned by the stranger caused a shift in the infants' behavior fromaffiliation to attachment.