MATERNAL SENSITIVITY AS AN EXTERNAL ORGANIZER FOR BIOBEHAVIORAL REGULATION IN INFANCY

Recent findings from both animal and human research have clearly demon strated connections between behavioral coping mechanisms and adrenocor tical function. The aim of this study was to address the role of mater nal sensitivity as an external organizer of psychobiological function in infants during the first year of life. Forty-one infants and their mothers were observed during play at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Age-sp ecific patterns of relation between maternal sensitivity and infant be havioral organization were found indicating contextual dependence of i nfant behavior at 3 months and experience-related behavioral function at 9 months. An affect of maternal sensitivity on adrenocortical funct ion during the free play was demonstrated at 3 and 6 months, because a n increase in cortisol was most frequently observed in infants of high ly insensitive mothers. The findings indicate the importance of matern al behavior for infant biobehavioral organization. (C) 1994 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.