It is widely held that Japanese and Americans differ in prominent aspects of their psychological make-ups and that certain social and intellectual distinctions between members of these two cultures arise early in life. Similarly, previous study on the nature of infant development Israel Kibbutzim determined that many decisive aspects of infant care -- particularly the close ties between infants and mother -- vary markedly from the American experience. Cross-cultural developmental studies have also shown that rearing differences typically have implications for infants' later cognitive and social behavior and performance. The purpose of this project is to identify significant similarities and differences in the childbearing ecologies of Japanese, Israeli, and American infants.
