Stability and transitions in mother–infant face-to-face communication during the first 6 months: A microhistorical approach

In this study the authors attempted to unravel the relational, dynamical, and historical nature of mother–infant communication during the first 6 months. Thirteen mothers and their infants were videotaped weekly from 4 to 24 weeks during face-to-face interactions. Three distinct patterns of mother–infant communication were identified: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and unilateral. Guided by a dynamic systems perspective, the authors explored the stability of and transitions between these communication patterns. Findings from event history analysis showed that (a) there are regularly recurring dyadic communication patterns in early infancy, (b) these recurring patterns show differential stabilities and likelihoods of transitions, (c) dynamic stability in dyadic communication is shaped not only by individual characteristics (e.g., infant sex and maternal parity) but also by the dyad’s communication history, and (d) depending on their recency, communication histories vary-ing in temporal proximity exert differential effects on the self-organization processes of a dyadic system. The idea that developmental outcomes are rooted in the history of parent–child interaction is prevalent in the developmental lit-erature. For example, the central tenet of attachment theory is tha