Infants in play groups: time related changes in behavior toward mothers, peers, and toys.

Twenty-one 13-month-old infants, nine male and 12 female, were assigned to one of seven playgroups convening for 15 consecutive weekdays . Present at each 20-minute play session were three same-sexed peers with their mothers and an assortment of toys. There were systematic fluctuations in infants' attention to mother, peers, and toys. There findings suggest that a mother may serve different functions at different points in time: (a) as a secure base in initial sessions, (b) as a refueling stop when the infant grew tired, and (c) as an attractive alternative when the infant became bored with toys and peers. Within-day analyses revealed that activity level and toy exploration linearly decreased over time, while intentional contact with mother significantly increased. Social interaction with peers correlated negatively with interaction with mother over the course of the study. Sex differences over time were found to be significant: boys on day one were more interactive with both peers and toys but this level declined thereafter, while girls on day one spent more time in close proximity to mother and later, on subsequent days, increased their peer and toy play.