Mother–infant responsiveness: Timing, mutual regulation, and interactional context.

Abstract

Mutual regulation during the naturalistic interaction of 150 mothers and their 4-month-old infants was investigated from a dynamic systems perspective. Microanalyses of a wide range of behaviors and analysis of contingencies indicated that a 3-s time period best captured contingencies. Both mothers and infants communicated primarily through vocal signals and responses, although maternal touches and infant looks also elicited responses. Although more expressive mothers did not have infants who behaved similarly, levels of contingent responsiveness between partners were significantly associated and occurred within distinct behavioral channels, suggesting coregulated interactional processes in which contingently responsive mothers shape their infants' communications toward mutual similarity. Mothers were more influential than infants over object play, whereas infants were more influential than mothers over expressive behavior. Interactional context consistently influenced contingent responsiveness; there was less mutual responsiveness when the infant was exploring, being held, or looking.

Mother–Child and Father–Child Emotional Availability in Families of Children with Down Syndrome

“…However, the parentchild relationship is not unidirectional, with only parents affecting their children. It is, rather, a fluid two-way exchange where signals and behaviors from both partners constantly affect each other in bidirectional transaction (Bornstein, 2003(Bornstein, , 2008Sander, 2000;Stern, 1985;Trevarthen & Aitken, 2001;Van Egeren, Barratt, & Roach, 2001;Venuti et al, 2008).…”

Imitative behaviors facilitate communicative gaze in children with autism

“…Contingent responsiveness should be related to interactional context (Barratt, Roach, & Leavitt, 1992;Egeren, Barratt, & Roach, 2001) and is critical in cognitive development in TD (Watson, 1985). Comparing the responses to imitation/contingent behavior of children with ASD to those of children with TD might provide a unique contribution for information processing in children with ASD; therefore, investigating these effects in children with TD as well as those with ASD should be effective in clarifying the developmental process of ontogeny and identifying the key factors that may help promote the typical/atypical development of children (Burack, Charman, Yirmiya, & Zelazo, 2001;Hobson, 1993).…”

Eye contact and social contingency experiences from 3 to 6 months of age and their relation to the detection of non-social contingencies

“…The provision of contingent responses to infants' signals is part of the intuitive parenting repertoire Keller, Scho¨lmerich, & Eibl-Eibesfeldt;Papousˇek & Papousˇek, 1991). Caregivers respond within a time range of about 1 to 2 seconds to substantial parts of infants' facial and vocal cues (Keller, Chasiotis, & Runde, 1992;Keller et al, 1999;Papousˇek & Papousˇek, 1991;van Egeren, Barratt, & Roach, 2001). Thus, they match the memory span of the small infant to ensure that the infant can detect contingencies.…”