Kowakare: A New Perspective on the Development of Early Mother–Offspring Relationship

Negayama, Koichi

doi:10.1007/s12124-010-9148-1

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In Scotland, on the other hand, the mothers’ strong coerciveness during feeding played an important role in its shared timing or synchrony. This is similar with Scottish mothers’ preference for isolated sleeping in a bed separate from their infants ( Negayama, 2006 , forthcoming ). The Scottish mothers then mirrored their infants’ mouth opening, generating a reactive intersubjectivity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…Co-occurrence of the same mouth openings (mirroring) in mothers and infants is another unique characteristic of human feeding. The synchronous mouth opening by a feeder was also observed in an infant’s father and a 2-year-old sibling at feeding infant ( Negayama, 2006 ). Joint attention of the mother and the infant to an object in a triadic relationship requires taking the other’s perspective ( Tomasello et al, 1993 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Interestingly, Japanese mothers often consume the food left by their infants, and give their own food to their infants when their infants’ plates are empty (“cross-feeding,” Negayama, 2006 ), which suggests they actively generate a sense of “oneness,” a significant intimacy of shared, common experience in the dyad. This behavior is seldom observed in Scotland.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of Japanese and Scottish Mother–Infant Intersubjectivity: Resonance of Timing, Anticipation, and Empathy During Feeding

et al. 2021

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Feeding involves communication between mothers and infants and requires precise synchrony in a special triadic relationship with the food. It is deeply related to their intersubjectivity. This study compared the development of mother–infant intersubjectivity through interactional synchrony in feeding between 11 Japanese and 10 Scottish mother–infant dyads, observed at 6 and 9 months by video. Japanese mothers were more deliberate in feeding at an earlier age, whereas Scottish mothers were significantly more coercive than Japanese mothers at an earlier age. Japanese mothers brought the spoon to infants with a pause to adjust the timing of insertion to match their infants’ readiness, whereas this pause was not observed in Scottish mothers. Isomorphic mouth opening between mothers and infants was observed. This empathic maternal display is an important element of intersubjectivity in infant feeding that differed between Scottish and Japanese mothers. Scottish mothers’ mouth opening always followed their infants’ mouth opening, but about half of Japanese mothers preceded their infants. Further, the mouths of Scottish infants and mothers opened almost at the same time as spoon insertion. In contrast, Japanese mothers’ mouth opening did not co-occur with the insertion but was close to spoon arrival, a subtle but important difference that allows for greater infant autonomy. The time structure of Scottish mother-infant interactions was simpler and more predictable at 9 months than in Japan, where the structure was more variable, likely due to a stronger regulation by Scottish mothers. In conclusion, Scottish mother-infant intersubjectivity is characterized as more maternally reactive and mother-centered, whereas Japanese mother-infant intersubjectivity is characterized as more maternally empathetic and infant-centered. Cultural differences in intersubjectivity during feeding between Japan and Scotland are further discussed in relation to triadic relationships and parenting styles.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of Japanese and Scottish Mother–Infant Intersubjectivity: Resonance of Timing, Anticipation, and Empathy During Feeding

et al. 2021

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“…The cost–benefit ratio of breastfeeding is initially small, but gradually increases with the offspring's development. Weaning reflects a departure from dependence on the mother by the offspring, and it is socio-biologically hypothesised as a conflict between mother and offspring ( Negayama, 2011 ; Trivers, 1974 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Japan–France–US comparison of infant weaning from mother’s viewpoint

Negayama

Norimatsu

Barratt

et al. 2012

Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology

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Background: Breastfeeding and weaning are strongly connected with infant–mother mutual autonomy, and hence are good touchstones to examine the characteristics of the mother–child relationship. Comparison of the weaning practice gives a framework to understand characteristics of the mother–infant relationship. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare three industrialised countries concerning the relationship between feeding and weaning practices and its reasons, mother's perception of child care, and of breast milk and formula. Methods: A questionnaire study on weaning practice was conducted for 310 Japanese, 756 French, and 222 American mothers with 4- to 20-month-old infants. Results: French mothers expected and had accomplished weaning at an earlier age of the infant, compared to Japanese and American mothers. Perceived insufficiency of breast milk was the leading reason for the termination of breastfeeding for Japanese mothers at the earlier stages, whereas back to work was the more important reason for French mothers. Japanese mothers were more negative in their image of themselves as mothers, whereas French mothers felt more burdened by child-care. Japanese mothers who terminated breastfeeding because of perceived breast milk insufficiency were also those who were less motivated to breastfeed. Conclusion: Weaning is a significant framework to interpret cultural differences in mother–infant relationship. The perceived insufficiency is interpreted as a solution of conflict between the social pressure to breastfeed and its burden.

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“…Mutual intention-reading between mother and infant enables advanced, fine temporal coordination between infant and mother at 9 months. However, mothers and infants take part in shared attention and engagement with their body parts in games and rituals, such as in tickling play, which suggests an earlier form of proximal triadic relations using their body part as the target may exist (proto-triadic relation; Negayama, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embodied intersubjective engagement in motherâ€“infant tactile communication: a cross-cultural study of Japanese and Scottish motherâ€“infant behaviors during infant pick-up

et al. 2015

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This study examines the early development of cultural differences in a simple, embodied, and intersubjective engagement between mothers putting down, picking up, and carrying their infants between Japan and Scotland. Eleven Japanese and ten Scottish mothers with their 6- and then 9-month-old infants participated. Video and motion analyses were employed to measure motor patterns of the mothers’ approach to their infants, as well as their infants’ collaborative responses during put-down, pick-up, and carry phases. Japanese and Scottish mothers approached their infants with different styles and their infants responded differently to the short duration of separation during the trial. A greeting-like behavior of the arms and hands was prevalent in the Scottish mothers’ approach, but not in the Japanese mothers’ approach. Japanese mothers typically kneeled before making the final reach to pick-up their children, giving a closer, apparently gentler final approach of the torso than Scottish mothers, who bent at the waist with larger movements of the torso. Measures of the gap closure between the mothers’ hands to their infants’ heads revealed variably longer duration and distance gap closures with greater velocity by the Scottish mothers than by the Japanese mothers. Further, the sequence of Japanese mothers’ body actions on approach, contact, pick-up, and hold was more coordinated at 6 months than at 9 months. Scottish mothers were generally more variable on approach. Measures of infant participation and expressivity indicate more active participation in the negotiation during the separation and pick-up phases by Scottish infants. Thus, this paper demonstrates a culturally different onset of development of joint attention in pick-up. These differences reflect cultures of everyday interaction.

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Kowakare: A New Perspective on the Development of Early Mother–Offspring Relationship

Cited by 15 publications

References 30 publications

Comparison of Japanese and Scottish Mother–Infant Intersubjectivity: Resonance of Timing, Anticipation, and Empathy During Feeding

Comparison of Japanese and Scottish Mother–Infant Intersubjectivity: Resonance of Timing, Anticipation, and Empathy During Feeding

Japan–France–US comparison of infant weaning from mother’s viewpoint

Embodied intersubjective engagement in motherâ€“infant tactile communication: a cross-cultural study of Japanese and Scottish motherâ€“infant behaviors during infant pick-up

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