EVOLUTIVE VALUE OF DEPENDENCIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROPPING - DAY-CARE-CENTER STUDY OF WHAT BECOMES OF INFANTS RELIANCE ON AN OBSERVERS GAZE AND ON THEIR OWN BODY

Six children were observed longitudinally in day-care centres between the ages of 5 months and 3 years. The present analysis deals with what we have called 'propping processes', the processes by means of which infants 'learn' or rely on their dependencies to affectively and cogni tively transform their experience. The development of propping process es is studied relative to two variables: the quality of the mother-chi ld relationship (assessed via interviews with the mothers) and the pre sence or absence of the mother as a caregiver at the day-care centre ( three children in each case). The results presented here are limited t o leaning on two particular props: an observer and one's own body. As hypothesized, the results showed that (1) in order for leaning to deve lop into propping, the infant must first construct the link between co ntact and distance in relationships with objects; and (2) the developm ent of propping depends on the quality of the mother-child relationshi p and the conditions under which it evolves.