Multiple functions of proximity seeking in infancy.
Multiple functions of proximity seeking by infants are proposed, and the evidence for each is reviewed. Those functions discussed by investigators of mother-infant attachment--alleviation of separation-induced distress, establishment of attachments, and protection from predators--are differentiated in terms of the level of analysis employed. An alternative function, the promotion of environmental learning, is also examined. The evidence suggests that proximity seeking may hold different functions for members of different species, may serve different functions for an individual at different times, and possibly may operate on different functional levels at the same time. It does not appear to be a specialized adaptation with a primary biological function. Nor does it appear to be a reliable index of preference for or attachment to particular individuals. Rather, proximity seeking appears to provide a general means by which infants, are exposed to a variety of objects and events in the social world. Consideration of the evidence for proximity seeking supports current recommendations to move from the individual response class to alternative units of analysis of social development.
D002652:Child Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009769:Object Attachment; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012931:Social Environment