THE STILL-FACE EFFECT IN CHINESE AND CANADIAN 3-MONTH-OLD TO 6-MONTH-OLD INFANTS

Studies conducted in China examining cross-cultural differences in 3- to 6-month-olds used the still-face paradigm. In each study, 20 infant s were in the experimental group (normal, still-face, normal interacti ons) and 20 in the control (3 normal periods). In Study 1, infants int eracted with either their mother or their father; they looked and smil ed less to the still-face of both parents. In Study 2, infants interac ted with both their mother and a stranger, with order counterbalanced. Experimental groups showed similar still-face effects to both adults. The control group responded similarly to the stranger in both orders but responded less to their mother when she interacted 2nd. The data w ere compared with archival data from Canadian infants. Although Chines e infants took longer to begin smiling, responding was similar in both cultures, despite differences in mothers' behavior: Chinese mothers p layed with the infants' arms; Canadian mothers played with the legs.