A model for cognitive development and the development of self-efficacy in infancy was
proposed. On the basis of learning-theoretical principles it was hypothesized that
(a) an infant's rate of habituation to visual stimuli is a function of the amount of
stimulation provided by its primary caregiver, and (b) the strength of an infant's
exploratory behavior and its ability to analyse contingencies between its acts and
their effects is a function of the responsiveness of the caregiver towards the
infant. The subjects were 100 ninemonth-old infants from working-class families with
their primary caregivers. The effects of two different intervention programs were
examined, one program aiming at heightening the caregiver's responsiveness towards
the infant, the second at enhancing the amount of stimulation provided to the
infant. The programs were carried out by the caregivers for a period of three
months. The proposed model was confirmed by the findings.
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