To investigate the contrary position of perceptual incongruity and social interaction theories regarding birth order and reactions to novel persons within the first year of life, novel persons were presented to 96 first and later borns 8 and 12 months of age. Because firstborns, exposed to more positive social interaction within the family within the first year of life, were more positive towards strangers than were the later borns, the authors concluded that by the end of the first year of life the nature of the infant's social interaction within the family, rather than the number of perceptual encounters, is the major determinant of infants' reaction to novel persons in their enviornment.
Attention Awareness