Infants' cries in the process of normal development

A developmental process model is presented for studying the relations among infant crying, social interaction, and development. The model focuses on how cry-initiated social interactions may foster aspects of normal social, communicative, and cognitive development. Data from both laboratory and home studies are presented to support the main postulates of the model. The process model is contrasted with the more familiar developmental prediction model, which focuses on how cry-related interactions may mediate individual differences in developmental outcomes.