THE REACTION OF 9-MONTH-OLD TO 10-MONTH-OLD INFANTS TO AN UNFAMILIAR ANIMAL

In an attempt to assess infants' reactions to one particular class of animate objects (animals), as opposed to persons and inanimate objects, 57 babies between 9 and 10 months old were divided into three equal groups and assigned to three experimental conditions, involving (a) a living unfamiliar dwarf rabbit, (b) a novel toy, or (c) an adult stranger. The same infant-controlled procedure was used in all conditions, and the infants' reactions were measured in terms of approach and stimulus- as well as mother-directed looks, smiles, and vocalizations. Results showed that the animal provoked an intermediate reaction, consisting of a combination of behaviors elicited by the inanimate object (i.e., quick proximity seeking, contact, and scarcity of smiles) and by the person (i.e., strong and lasting attention). Implications of these results for clarification of the infant's concept of animal was discussed.