Early affect development: empirical research.

Abstract

The authors present and question some aspects of the experience accumulated over fourteen years through the regular observation of the relationship between mother and child. They call special attention to the extremely precocious occurrence of an affective relationship in this pair, in fact from birth. At the same time they emphasize the reciprocity that exists between mother and child, one interacting, stimulating and being stimulated equally by the other since birth. They try to attain these objectives by presenting briefly three observations regarding the first three months of life.