Effect of the Content of Communication on the Attitude of Young Children Toward Adults

Children begin at a very early age to behave selectively toward both familiar and unfamiliar adults: some they meet with smiles, others they turn away from with fright, and still others confuse them. Children behave differently toward unfamiliar persons than they do in their interactions with those close to them. A child will often display a special sort of attachment to his (her) mother or grandmother, and sometimes to his father, and frequently will favor an older brother or sister more than anyone else in his milieu. The psychological literature abounds in analyses of the rich and complex range of behavior of children toward others (1-6).