RELATION OF REARING ENVIRONMENT TO ADAPTIVE-BEHAVIOR OF EGYPTIAN TODDLERS

2 questions were explored: (1) Do observed relations found in Western cultures between specific psychosocial environmental factors and toddl ers adaptive behavior resemble the pattern of relations found in a non -Western setting? (2) Does the specificity of relations between enviro nment and performance found in Western cultures also operate in a non- Western culture? Subjects were 153 Egyptian toddlers, 18-30 months of age, and their caregivers. Twice a month between 18 and 30 months todd lers were observed in naturalistic interactions with their caregivers, and measures of caregiver behavior and toddler functioning were coded . Replicating previous results from Western cultures, canonical analys is indicated that caregiver vocal stimulation was positively related t o indices of toddler behavioral competence, while nonverbal response t o vocalization and physical contact stimulation were negatively relate d. The salience of sib caregivers was also noted. Particularly for the age period between 24 and 29 months, results indicated specificity of environmental action such that measures of caregiver vocal stimulatio n were uniquely related to measures of toddler vocalization, while car egiver response to distress was uniquely related to toddler emotionali ty. The present pattern of results Suggests at least some degree of cr oss-cultural generalizability of environment-development relations and of the specificity model of environmental action.