Final answer:
Infants are naturally inclined to social interaction, which is critical for their development. They express preferences for certain stimuli like their mother's voice and show reflexes that promote closeness with caregivers.
Interaction with others during play is vital for learning social cues and language, evidenced by various research, including the studies by Harlow and Ainsworth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Infants do indeed exhibit a tendency to interact with other infants or caregivers, and this is integral for their social development.
Early social contact is necessary as demonstrated by the research of Harry and Margaret Harlow with rhesus monkeys, showing the preference for a soft, terrycloth substitute mother over a wire mother that provided sustenance, emphasizing the value of social comfort over mere nutritional need. Furthermore, infants develop socially and cognitively through play, which helps them understand social cues and builds foundational skills for language and emotional intelligence.
Attachment styles vary among infants, as Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation experiment revealed differences in bonding, indicating that the way infants relate to their caregivers can be different.
Likewise, the social context plays a crucial role in language acquisition and sociocultural learning, as noted in different cultural practices around the world where infants learn by witnessing and overhearing language rather than direct teaching. Such studies point to the importance of social engagement for infants, which may explain their inclination to interact during playtime.
The preferences of newborns to faces and voices, particularly the mother's voice, further reinforce their innate inclination towards social interaction.
These preferences, along with the grasping reflex and Moro reflex, aid in maintaining close physical proximity with their caregiver for safety and fulfilling the need for constant physical contact. As infants grow, their play evolves from solitary activities to more sociable interactions, marking the significance of play in social and physical development.