Infant Affective Reactions to the Resumption of Maternal Interaction after the Still-Face

Abstract

To investigate infants' reactions to the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm and in particular the reunion episode, 50 6-month-olds' affective, behavioral, and physiologic reactions were recorded and analyzed. Infants reacted to the still-face with negative affect, a drop in vagal tone, and an increase in heart rate. By contrast, they reacted to the reunion episode with a mixed pattern of positive and negative affect. There was a carryover of negative affect from the still-face, an increase in fussiness and crying, and a rebound of positive affect. During this episode, the infants' heart rate and vagal tone returned to initial levels. The data indicate that infant affective displays are specifically related to different interactive events, but that their physiologic reactions do not show the same level of specificity. The findings also highlight the complexity of the affective and reparatory processes that take place in mother-infant interactions.

Prenatal cocaine and other substance exposure: Effects on infant autonomic regulation at 7 months of age

“…Although some studies have found increases in RSA during positive affect tasks (Bazhenova, Plonskaia, & Porges, 2001), others have found that behavioral indicators of positive affect did not reliably correspond with changes in RSA (Weinberg & Tronick, 1996).…”

Predictors of infant positive, negative and self-direct coping during face to face still-face in a Portuguese preterm sample

“…Typically, infants emit less positive affect and display more negative arousal or self-comforting behaviours during maternal Still-Face (Cohn & Tronick, 1987, 1989Gianino & Tronick, 1988;Toda & Fogel, 1993;Tronick et al, 1978;Weinberg & Tronick, 1996). Furthermore, infants exhibit a carry-over of negative affect from the still-face to the re-engagement episode named still-face effect (Weinberg, Tronick, Cohn, & Oslon, 1999).…”

Communicating Feelings: Links Between Mothers' Representations of Their Infants, Parenting, and Infant Emotional Development

“…In the Still Face maternal unavailability is simulated by having the parent hold a flat, unresponsive expression for a brief period of time; this is preceded and followed by short episodes of normal face-to-face interaction. The temporary maternal unavailability and lack of responsiveness during this procedure is a reliable stress inducer, even for very young infants (Field et al, 1986;Weinberg & Tronick, 1996). Many mothers also report feeling distressed by the experience of holding a still, unresponsive, expression while their infants are upset, and as an illustration of the motivational function of emotions, research has shown that differences in report of maternal distress during the Still Face correspond to different parenting behaviors during the period following the procedure (Mayes et al, 1991).…”

“…The Still Face has been widely used to examine infant emotion regulation in response to temporary maternal unavailability with infants between two and seven months of age Tronick, 1989;Weinberg & Tronick, 1996). The procedure itself is composed of three brief segments that challenge infant, and presumably parent, affective self-regulation: a first "Free Play" segment during which the mother and infant interact in face-toface play; a second period, the "Still Face," during which the mother holds a still face and is unresponsive to the infant; and a final "Reengagement" episode, during which the mother again interacts in face-to-face play with the infant.…”