Effects of Caregiver Behavior on Habituation Rate and Self-Efficacy in Infants

Abstract

A model for cognitive development and the development of self-efficacy in infancy was proposed. On the basis of learning-theoretical principles it was hypothesized that (a) an infant's rate of habituation to visual stimuli is a function of the amount of stimulation provided by its primary caregiver, and (b) the strength of an infant's exploratory behavior and its ability to analyse contingencies between its acts and their effects is a function of the responsiveness of the caregiver towards the infant. The subjects were 100 ninemonth-old infants from working-class families with their primary caregivers. The effects of two different intervention programs were examined, one program aiming at heightening the caregiver's responsiveness towards the infant, the second at enhancing the amount of stimulation provided to the infant. The programs were carried out by the caregivers for a period of three months. The proposed model was confirmed by the findings.