Abstract
Thirty mothers of female newborn infants were assigned to one of three treatment groups to assess the effects on maternal and infant responsiveness of an early intervention designed to familiarize mothers with the capabilities and individual characteristics of their infants. In one treatment group, each mother observed the administration of the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale to her infant and was provided with an explanation of each item on the scale and her infant's responses. The mothers in a second group were provided with the same individualized explanation about the scale items and their infant's responses, but did not observe these events. A third group of mothers, which served as the control group, was given individual instruction on infant furnishings. Changes in maternal-infant interaction, as measured on the AMIS scale, were assessed in all three groups. Maternal responsiveness was enhanced significantly in the “show and tell” group, but not in the “tell only” group, although infant responsiveness was enhanced significantly in both treatment groups.