AbstractTwo experiments studied the open‐field behaviors of rat mothers as a function of offspring manipulation. In the first experiment mothers whose offspring were “handled” were compared with mothers whose offspring were not handled. Mothers of handled offspring were found to be less emotional in the open field than control mothers. In the second experiment control litters and litters handled during their first week were fostered to mothers of nonhandled litters. The foster mothers and their new litters were not disturbed again until weaning 2 weeks later. Again, mothers which reared handled litters were less emotional than those which reared nonhandled litters. It was concluded that mothers are affected by early handling of their offspring, that the direction of influence can be from infant to mother, and that the effects of mother‐infant interactions are likely to be extremely