ABSTRACT

This qualitative case study explored changes in one infant’s relationship development withher caregivers and peers in times of a major developmental transition, specifically from 10months to 14 months. The data were collected through multiple sources, includingobservations, interviews, documents, and researcher journals, for a semester. Among thedevelopmental achievements the infant gained in this study, her independent walking abilityappeared to influence her relationships most. As her independent walking ability enabled theinfant to gain a greater access to peers and caregivers, her presence in the room and socialpreferences for the people also appeared to change. The infant seemed to enjoy more playbasedand group interactions with both peers and caregivers rather than emotion-based anddyadic interactions. The results of this study provided an insight into the multifacetedrelationship development process, such as the connection between infant development andrelationships and the association between infant-caregiver relationships and infant peerrelationships.

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