Sarlin investigated the effects of patterns of mothering on psychosexual development and character formation. Three cultures (Arapesh, Balinese, and Southern Chinese) were studied in which character was primarily oral and two (Yurok and Alorese) in which character was primarily anal. In each of these 'prephallic cultures' the outstanding characteristics of the mothers were their narcissistic attitudes toward their offspring, and the prephallic nature of their libidinal orientation. In the one culture (aboriginal Sioux) where phallic primacy was achieved, the nursing was affectionate, generous, and prolonged.