[Interactive capacities of children aged 4 to 7 months with a child of the same age]

In this article we report on the first results of a research on the abilities and interactive behaviors of 16 infants aged from 4 to 7 months, with an infant of the same age. These infants are studied in dyads from the moment they are seated by their mother in two experimental seats. The position and distance of the seats are regulated at distance according to a procedure consisting in 8 phases of 3 minute duration each. The mothers of the two infants are present and can be seen by their child during the experimental session. The principal results can be summed up as follows: 1. The infant-partner is the first rank target of the gaze of the other infant. The frequency and duration of the orientations of the gaze in the direction of one or another of its body areas are significantly higher than the frequency and duration of the self-centered gazes (very weak) and the frequency and duration of the orientations of the gaze in other directions, including towards their mothers. These behaviors between the infants do not decrease in frequency or duration as long as the infants do not receive an object. 2. The face and hands of the infant-partner are the most frequent targets of the gaze; they also have the highest cumulated duration. The mutual catching of the eyes is also well represented, since this occupy the fifth place among the 25 items of behavior which were measured. 3. 4 of the 7 best represented items are the interactive behaviors with the other infant. 4. The manual behaviors already appear well organized, targetted, and visually controlled. In particular: the extension of the arm in the direction of the infant-partner, with the hand in pronation, lateral, oblique or in supination; the extension of the arm with a rotation of the hand from the pronation position to the supination position; taking the hand of the other infant. 5. Among the other complex behaviors one can observe diverse forms of imitation and modulated vocalizations which are rich in phonemes. 6. Most interactive behaviors are influenced by the human context (the different positions of the infants with regard to each other) and giving an object to each infant (last phase of the protocol). The infants appear, therefore, capable of taking into account most behaviors of the other infant in the organization of their own behaviors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)