Specific predictive relations between mothers' responsiveness to their
5-month-olds' nondistress activities and vocal distress and infants'
attention span, symbolic play, and language comprehension at 13 months
were examined in 36 dyads in a short-term prospective longitudinal st
udy. Maternal responsiveness to infant nondistress activities at 5 mon
ths, but not responsiveness to infant distress, uniquely predicted inf
ant attention span and symbolic play, but not infant language comprehe
nsion. Mothers' responsiveness at 13 months was positively and consist
ently, but not significantly, associated with all three infant abiliti
es. The results support a view that the effects of maternal responsive
ness on infant mental development are specific and indirect rather tha
n generic and direct and recommend further differentiation of infant a
ctivity, maternal responsiveness, and child outcome in studies of chil
dren's early mental development.