| Abstract: | Newborns exposed to a randomized sound battery containing speech-like sounds demonstrated a variety of behavioral reactions reflecting individual differences in personality and organization. Subjects who actively searched the environment for stimuli and showed prolonged vigilance episodes scored in the 90th percentile on the Denver Developmental Test when evaluated at later ages. Subjects who were remarked as inhibiting crying during their exposure to the experimental schedule later were described by their parents as “good” babies, while subjects who vocalized their displeasure during exposure were described far less favorably. These findings may have implications for developmental studies of mother-infant interactions. |
