INFLUENCE OF SIBLING ORDER ON DYADIC INTERACTIONS WITH 10-WEEK-OLD INFANTS

The daily environments of firstborn (N = 22) and laterborn infants (N = 18) at the age of ten weeks were assessed through 24-hour time budge t analysis. Specifically, information was sought concerning the amount of time infants spend in dyadic interaction with a parent, by analysi s of. the types of activities infants engage in on a given day, the pr esence of other persons during these activities, and time spent asleep versus time spent awake. The daily experiences of first- and laterbor n infants differ significantly. In particular, laterborn infants have much less opportunity to spend time in dyadic interaction with their p arents than do firstborns, and multiparous parents are similarily less involved in activities which afford dyadic interaction than are primi parous parents. The discussion addresses the question, wether the more prolonged periods of interaction between firstborns and their parents ultimately benefit laterborns by increasing parental experience, so t hat the reduced amount of time laterborns spend in dyadic interaction with their parents would be offset by the parental experience gained w ith firstborns.