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Pacifiers' Effects upon Play and Separations from the Mother for the One-Year-Old in a Novel Environment
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Pacifiers' Effects upon Play and Separations from the Mother for the One-Year-Old in a Novel Environment

Jane Halonen and Richard Passman
Infant behavior & development, Vol.1(1), pp.70-78
01/01/1978
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-6383(78)80010-1

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Abstract

To examine whether pacifiers function as attachment objects for infants in an unfamiliar situation, 48 one-year-olds (95% white, equal number of boys & girls) were observed in a standardized playroom. Ss were accompanied by either their mother, a pacifier, or no special familiar object. Regardless of whether the mothers had rated their infants as pacifier-attached, the pacifier generally promoted more play & longer separation from the mother than did no familiar object, but less than the mother. The greater the rating of attachment to a pacifier, the more its presence tended to facilitate these nondistressful behaviors. Thus, according to various criteria, the pacifier may be classified as an attachment object, especially since it has similar functional characteristics to other attachments. The findings broaden previous research of attachment to inanimate objects, which had investigated toddlers' relationships to blankets, by demonstrating similar effects with one-year-olds & pacifiers. Prior work relating sucking with reduced physiological & physical activity in the neonate is also supported. 1 Table. Modified HA.

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