Social referencing and theories of status and social interaction
pp. 269-294
in: Saul Feinman (ed), Social referencing and the social construction of reality in infancy, Berlin, Springer, 1992Abstract
Social referencing is a phenomenon of clear significance. Many studies, including those in this volume, document the importance of referencing in the lives of young children and their guardians. Even before the end of their first year, children use adults to define what is dangerous and what is delightful or, in a process similar to modeling, to develop competencies.