P18C2 Clip Notes
| Notes: P018C2 |
by Analyst, 11/11/2025, updating re-subtitled transcription of 10/17/2024 |
| In the Clip | Peggy’s eyes are first on the table surface; she puts her hands on the surface, drawing her hands across it, making scraping movements and in between bringing her hand to her mouth. Why ? Three suggestions: One: she is coordinating tactile and visual sense information: the “table” was an unused but finished stair tread (fine grained douglas fir, treated with polyurethane, thus smooth but with visible variation). Two: many of the surfaces of her experience were cloth, some loose; scrapeing such could bring the material and objects on it within her reach. Three: a comparable surface of her common experience was her high chair tray, often covered with tasty spills. Was this a taste test? This seems unlikely for such persistent behavior. Repeated and rapid moves from table to mouth favor the “taste-test” hypothesis, as does the visible spoon and bowl, empty though it was at the time. Finally, the lack of response to Bob’s calling her name is clear at week 18. |
| In the Text | As a transcript of speech, with added comments on the context, this is more valuable for representing Peggy’s environment than it is revealing of more than meets the eye at first glance. The paucity of useful information about infant behavior in early transcripts explains in part efforts to detail traces of her actions. |
| In the Trace | The questions raised by Peggy’s actions in this clip focus on her combination of surface scraping with hand-to-mouth follow on. Of the 13 scraping moves, 9 are immediately followed by moving the hand to the mouth, 4 are not. Though the preponderance might favor a “taste-test” explanation, the fact she almost always moved a hand to her mouth undercuts the frequency as evidence. If it could be shown she was comparing tactile and visual sense impressions, that would be an interesting result, but I see not evidence for that here. About the familiarity of these objects: The Mom’s observations are definitive: the brush is not seen in its role. The spoon has been handled as well as mouthed, the dish less so. |
| Setting,Props | Brookline, Carriage House: Peggy’s spoon, dish, hairbrush |
| Actors,Aims | Peggy and Mom; Bob on camera. Focus on separate, distinct familiar objects. |
| Episode A: | Bob: Now, that’s Peggy’s hair brush, her spoon, and her dish. Mom: Yes. Bob: Would you speculate that she’s either reaching for that or bumping it? Which? Mom: I think she’s bumping it… She seems to be… Bob: Are they too far from her? Mom: Reaching out to to the board and moving her fingertips along it, but for what purpose? I don’t know. Bob: That’s a point. Is she in enough of a commanding position to be able to reach out for anything if she wants? Mom: I think so. The spoon is definitely within her reach. She has bumped it a couple of times. |
| Episode B: | Bob: Well, you said earlier it was more likely that she would recognize the spoon because the hairbrush is used on her. Mom: Yeah, generally from the back. Bob: That’s interesting. Let’s see what she does when you put it down… She does seem to be looking over that way towards the hair brush. Bob: Peggy? Peggy. Peggy. {P: “a” ( a, /ae/)} What? Did you say what? Peggy, look up here. Hello, Peggy. |
| Action Trace | P018C2at  |
| Episode | |
| Summary by AI |
Observers identify Peggy’s hairbrush, spoon, and dish. They discuss whether Peggy is reaching for or bumping an object. One suggests she is bumping the items rather than intentionally reaching. Peggy moves her fingertips along a board, purpose unclear. Question raised about whether Peggy is positioned well enough to reach objects. Consensus that the spoon is within Peggy’s reach. Note that Peggy has bumped the spoon multiple times. Discussion that Peggy may recognize the spoon more readily than the hairbrush, since the brush is usually used on her from behind. Observers watch Peggy look toward the hairbrush when it’s placed down. Peggy is addressed by name; she vocalizes “a,” and is prompted to look up. |
| Narrative by AI |
In a quiet room, a small assortment of everyday objects sits on a board: a hairbrush, a spoon, and a dish. These items are identified as belonging to Peggy, who is present and intermittently engaging with them. Observers note their placement and discuss how familiar each object might feel to her through everyday use. The brush, they mention, is typically used on her by someone else, often from behind, while the spoon may be more directly handled by her. Attention turns to Peggy’s movements. At times, she appears to reach toward the board, sliding her fingertips along its surface. The observers debate whether she is intentionally reaching for an object or simply bumping into it by chance. The distance and angle of the items are considered, as they wonder whether she is positioned comfortably enough to make contact with whatever she chooses. The spoon draws particular focus. It is said to be within Peggy’s reach, and she has already bumped it a few times. This leads to speculation about recognition: might she be more likely to identify the spoon than the hairbrush? The reasoning offered is that the spoon is associated with her own direct handling, whereas the brush is something used on her, which could affect how she perceives or prioritizes the objects. Visual attention is also observed. At one point, Peggy seems to look in the direction of the hairbrush, prompting the group to see what she does when it is placed down again. The observers are careful not to leap to conclusions, instead noting small shifts in gaze and touch. These moments—brief, tentative, and open to interpretation—form the core of their inquiry. Communication prompts are introduced gently. Peggy is called by name, and there is a faint vocal response, a single vowel sound, followed by encouragement to look up. The exchange is quiet and patient. Taken together, these observations suggest an exploration of how Peggy engages with familiar objects, how she signals attention, and how subtle adjustments—proximity, positioning, and prompting—might influence her responses. |
| Link Index | Panel P018, Language Development, Object Exploration, Social Interactions |
| Themes, Interplay |
