Abstract

298 COMMENTARIES nonverbal signals, especially terminal gaze and falling pitch. ative behavior. At 12 to 18 months, securely attached chil- Any "gestural dance" is at the level of utterances and dren have been found to be more cooperative and socially phonemic clauses rather than at a finer time-scale (e.g., as a competent and to show more positive affect (Sroufe, Fox, & person starts to speak he looks away and starts gesturing, and Pancake, 1983). Infants who are more securely attached co- the opposite as he stops talking; Argyle, 1988). This intricate operate more with unfamiliar peers, and interact with a great- system of mutual attention and coordination can first be ob- er number of peers (Clarke-Stewart, 1988). served in infants. We see that the origins of positivity and coordination are found in infancy, that they are partly innate and partly learnt. This kind of interaction is a source of joy for infants and of Mothers and Infants interpersonal attraction. It is very likely that there is an evolu- tionary basis for such cooperative behavior, through the pro- From a very early age, babies are able to send nonverbal signals-they look, cry, and smile-and are thus able to cess of