The Development of Parental Preferences in the First Two Years of L i f e 1

This study was conducted to explore sex of parent by sex of child interactions in the development of parent-infant attachments in the first two years of life. Such investigations seem especially necessary in view of the common belief that sex-role learning primarily occurs in the process of early family-child interactions (see Lamb, 1976c). Unlike the few previous investigations in which fa ther and mother-infant relations were compared, the data were derived from lengthy observations of family triads in the unstructured home setting. Pilot laboratory research conducted by Lewis, Weinraub, and Ban (1972) and Lamb (1976b) indicated that by 2 years of age boys tend to prefer their fathers while girls prefer their mothers. In neither study were individual developmental profiles considered, nor was it clear whether infants who showed a preference for one parent on one measure showed a similar preference on the other measures. The present study was designed to remedy these deficiencies. In addition, the frequency of parental vocalization to the children was recorded; this served as an index of parental interactive participation. It was predicted that the sons' preferences for their fathers would be paralleled by greater paternal involvement with sons than with daughters. The subjects were participants in two overlapping longitudinal investigations. Fourteen infants were observed at 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months of age; six others were observed at 7, 8, 12, and 13 months; and six were observed at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months. All came from lowerto upper-middle-class families, in which traditional parental roles prevailed.