The amount of touch provided to the child is often defined as an index of maternal
availability. Ainsworth and colleagues (1978) originally noted that mothers of secure infants
used touch more extensively than mothers of insecure-anxious infants. Significant correlations
between the attachment of infants and a number of maternal qualities of touch have also
been described in a review and synthesis article written by several scientists with related
programs of research (Waters, Kondo-Ikemura, Posada and Richters, 1990). These authors
detail the relationships of monkey infant attachment to a mother’s a) close holding of her
infant for extended periods, b) carrying of the infant when moving from place to place, and
c) tolerance of the infant’s touching of her body during play. They also present data
indicating that human infants classified as secure enjoy more playful physical contact with
their mothers than babies classified as insecure.