Browsing by Author "Miguel Barbosa"
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- It’s you and me: infants’ cross-modal communicative signals and mother-infant interactive behavior predict infant regulatory patterns in the still-face paradigm at 3 monthsPublication . Fuertes, Marina; Rita Almeida; Martelo Ribeiro, Inês; Miguel Barbosa; Beeghly, MarjorieInfant regulatory behavior develops since birth and impacts their early social interactions. Infants differ in the relative coherence and incoherence of their cross-modal communicative signals during en-face infant-caregiver interactions. We expand this research by evaluating whether different infant regulatory patterns observed during the Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) at 3 months are associated with the coherence or incoherence of infants’ cross-modal communicative behaviors during en-face interactions or with multiple dimensions of mother-infant interactive behavior during free-play. Analyses were based on data collected from 100 mother-infant dyads from urban, working- and middle-class backgrounds in Portugal who were videotaped during the FFSF and free play at 3 months. Results confirm that infants’ different regulatory behavior patterns in the FFSF at 3 months are associated with the coherence and incoherence of their crossmodal interactive behaviors and specific aspects of mother-infant interaction. Infants with a Social-Positive oriented regulatory pattern during the FFSF displayed more coherent and less incoherent communicative behaviors with their mothers and were more cooperative during free play. In turn, their mothers were more sensitive. Our findings support the perspective that infants’ regulatory behavior strategies in the context of caregiver regulatory support and sensitivity are likely to increase dyadic correspondence and infant ability to engage with the world.
- The challenges of stillness: a longitudinal study about the associations between mothers’ violations of the still-face, infant patterns of regulatory behavior, mother-infant interactive behavior, and infant attachmentPublication . Miguel Barbosa; Joana Gonçalves; Marjorie Beeghly; Fuertes, MarinaBackground During the still-face (SF) episode of the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF), mothers are instructed to remain still, unresponsive, and silent. However, some participants do not comply with these instructions, and researchers typically exclude them from their analyses. These mothers report feelings of anxiety and discomfort during SF. However, little is known about maternal SF violations and whether they are associated with other aspects of the mother-infant relationship. Aims In this experimental and longitudinal study, we compared mothers who violated the SF instructions to mothers who complied with them. We then focused on the group of mothers who violated the SF instructions, to investigate whether the type (i.e., those meant to soothe the infant vs. other violations), intensity (severe vs. mild), and form (verbal and non-verbal) of mothers’ SF violations in the FFSF at 3 months postpartum were associated with infant regulatory behavior in FFSF, mother-infant free-play behavior at the same age, infant attachment at 12 months, or other infant or maternal/familial characteristics. Methods The participants included 54 mothers identified as violating the SF instructions at 3 months and their infants, and 296 mothers who did not violate the SF instructions. At 3 months, mother-infant dyads were videotaped during two successive interaction tasks: an unstructured free-play task followed by the FFSF paradigm. At 12 months, infant attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation. Results Mothers who violated the SF were less sensitive during mother-infant free play than mothers who complied with the SF instructions, and their infants were more cooperative and less likely to exhibit a disorganized/disoriented attachment. Among mothers who violated the SF instructions, those who did so to soothe their infant exhibited higher sensitivity during free play, and their infants were more likely to exhibit a Social Oriented pattern of regulatory behavior during the FFSF, than mothers who violated the SF for other reasons. Furthermore, their infants were more cooperative during free play, and at 12 months, more likely to have a secure attachment, and less likely to have a disorganized/disoriented attachment. Conclusion Possibly, mothers who violate the SF to soothe their infants are more empathic and more likely to be a “safe haven” in stressful situations, contributing to secure relationships. However, mothers who violated SF for other reasons need further investigation and are linked with disorganized/disoriented infant attachment.