Separation protest in Guatemalan infants: Cross-cultural and cognitive findings.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the onset and development of separation protest in a non-Western culture. Forty-two boys and girls distributed over the ages of 9, 12, 18, and 24 months were assessed for reactions to arrivals and departures of their mother, father, and a stranger. The infants were also given a test of object permanence. The results showed that the pattern of separation protest was similar in Guatemala and the United States although the age of onset of separation protest was earlier in Guatemala. The results also gave tentative support for a relation between separation protest and object permanence.