Infant Crying and Fussing: Findings from a Cross-Cultural Study

The study investigated infants' rates of fussing and crying in five environments in the following situations: An entire observation day in the child's natural surroundings, in the presence of familiar people, when alone, and when the main caretaker was requested to elicit a smiling response from the infant. Observed were 96 male infants aged 2, 4, 7, and 11 months from urban middle and lower class, kibbutz, Bedouin, and institutional environments in their natural surroundings for the equivalent of a complete waking day. Our findings indicated that prompt reaction to most infants' cries and fussing was associated with a higher rate of these responses in everyday life and during a pleasant encounter with the mother. Rates of infants' fussing were found to be higher when alone than in presence of familiar people.