Contingent provision of social referential information by parents of children with and without developmental delays

Social referencing involves using information from other persons to guide behavior and affect in ambiguous situations. Children's behavior toward a stimulus paired with positive affective messages was compared to behavior toward a stimulus paired with fearful messages. Normally developing children, but not those with delays, showed evidence of behavior regulation, touching positive-message more than fearful-message toys. Parental communications were more regularly preceded by children's looks in dyads with normally developing children. Parents of children with delays often initiated unsolicited communications in addition to responding to children's initiations. Children with delays regulated behavior only when messages were contingent upon looks. Parental contingency was not associated with behavior regulation in dyads with normally developing children.