Relation between time spent in daycare and exploratory behaviors in 9-month-old infants

The associations between the amount of time spent in daycare and explorator y and problem-solving behaviors were examined in 32 9-month-old infants. Re gression analyses showed that the amount of time spent in daycare was predi ctive of increased exploratory behaviors and more efficient problem-solving behaviors in 9-month-old infants after the effects of SES, parental educat ion and quality of the daycare center were statistically controlled. In add ition, both quantity and quality of exploratory behavior was related to mor e successful problem-solving ability. These findings, in conjunction with o ther findings on the effects of center-based care on infant development, su ggest that time spent in daycare can enhance rather than impair cognitive d evelopment ii the quality of the daycare is high.