Abstract

This study was aimed at examining the relation between early individual differences in reation to a painful stimulus, infant temperament and maternal responsiveness. Thirty-three healthy and full-term infants and their mothers were observed longitudinally at 3, 5 and 12 months during routine inoculations. Their behaviors were coded according to Lewis' method (Lewis and Thomas, 1990). The main results of the study show that: a) older infants are better equipped to react to pain, in that their reaction is less intense; b) maternal responsivity increases with the age of the infant; c) maternal behavior is correlated to infant response to distress at 3 and 5 months.