Research results on the association between maternal response to infant's initiative and the development of such initiatives is being presented. This study is based on 239 feeding situations belonging to 41 mother-infant pairs videotaped at home at 30-day intervals, from the beginning of spoon-feeding until 1 year of age. The results showed that the basic hypotheses of this study were confirmed. There was a clear association between maternal responses to initiatives of the infant and four variables: Initiatives, Attempted Initiatives, Aversive Behavior, and Conflictivity. A favorable maternal response went along with more initiatives, fewer Attempts, less Aversivity, and less Conflictivity. Conflictivity was understood as reciprocal exchange of antipathetic reactions such as opposition, disgust, and hostility. Therefore, conflicts show struggle and confrontation between both members of the interaction. Aversivity is the infant's sole reaction to disgust, distaste, or opposition. As the infant risks confrontations with the caregiver to sustain her initiatives, we can say that, although highly influentiable by maternal response, Initiative is a contribution of the infant to her own development. Thus, in our view, a developing self shows an emerging capacity to initiate actions of his/her own. This becomes a relational issue as soon as the infant's initiative hits the interactional field, causing an environmental response that ultimately will allow or impede initiative. In case of impediments, the strong reaction of the infant will produce an impact upon the progressive stages of construction of the relationship, and certainly will be influential upon the further development of the infant's self.
RESUMEN: Este estudio presenta resultados de la investigacio ´n sobre la asociacio ´n entre la respuesta maternal a la iniciativa del infante, y el desarrollo de tal iniciativa. El mismo se basa en 239 situaciones de alimentacio ´n entre 41 pares de madre-hijo, las cuales fueron videograbadas en el hogar con intervalos de 30 dı ´as, desde el principio del proceso de alimentacio ´n con cuchara, hasta que los nin ˜os tenı ´an un an ˜o de edad. Los resultados mostraron que las hipo ´tesis bs ´icas de este estudio quedaban confirmadas. Se dio una clara asociacio ´n entre las respuestas maternales a las iniciativas del infantes y cuatro variables: Iniciativas, Intento de Iniciativas, Conducta aversiva, y Actividad conflictiva. Una respuesta maternal favorable se presento ´acompan ˜ada de ma ´s iniciativas, manos intentos, menos aversividad, y menos situaciones de conflicto. Se comprenden las situaciones de conflicto como intercambios recı ´procos de reacciones antipa ´ticas, tales como oposicio ´n, disgusto y hostilidad. Por lo tanto, los conflictos muestran