Cultural Differences in Infant Spontaneous Behaviour: Evidence From a Small-Scale, Rural Island Society

We examined infant activity level and attention in 45 eight‐month‐old infants (mean age 8.8, SD = 2.07) living in two diverse socio‐cultural contexts: rural island societies in the South Pacific and urban Western societies in North America. Infants and mothers were observed for 10 minutes in a face‐to‐face interaction and later coded for the frequency of infants\u27 motor movements and gaze shifts. Results indicate that infants in urban North American societies produced more frequent motor movements and gaze shifts compared to infants in rural, island societies in Oceania. We interpret these discrepancies as reflecting differences in social experience, ecological niches as well as physiological experiences. These findings highlight the complex interplay of development and experience early in life