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Differential functioning on the Illingworth by home- vs institution-reared 3-month-old infants

A Drivas, K V Roe, A Roe

    Perceptual and Motor Skills
    |June 1, 1986
    PubMed

    Insights

    Greek infants raised at home showed better development than institutionalized infants, except in fine motor skills. This suggests the quality of infant-caretaker relationships significantly impacts early childhood development.

    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Psychology
    • Infant Care Studies

    Background:

    • Early childhood development is influenced by environmental factors.
    • The impact of institutional versus home-rearing on infant development requires further investigation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To compare the developmental performance of home-reared Greek infants with those reared in a modern institution.
    • To identify specific areas of developmental difference between the two groups.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized the Illingworth scale to assess development in 3-month-old infants.
    • Compared 32 home-reared Greek infants against 22 infants from a modern institutional setting.

    Main Results:

    • Home-reared infants demonstrated superior performance across most developmental domains.
    • Institutionalized infants performed comparably or better only in fine motor coordination (Manipulations).

    Conclusions:

    • The quality of the mother/caretaker-infant relationship is hypothesized as a key factor in the developmental advantages observed in home-reared infants.
    • Environmental and relational factors play a critical role in early infant development, particularly outside of fine motor skills.

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