THE EFFECTS OF SYSTEMATIC STROKING VERSUS TICKLING AND POKING ON INFANT BEHAVIOR

Effects of contingent stroking were compared to effects of contingent tickling and poking on infant eye contact (attention) and affect durin g face-to-face interactions with an adult female. Twelve 2-to 4.5-mo-o ld infants participated in a within-subjects alternating-treatments de sign. Each subject received the two touch conditioning treatments in a lternation within each of four consecutive sessions. In each session, three 2-min conditioning periods were implemented. Compared to ticklin g and poking treatment, during the systematic-stroking treatment all i nfants spent a greater proportion of time making eye contact with the experimenter, smiled and vocalized more and frowned and cried less.