Interactional Synchrony and the Origins of Infant-Mother Attachment: A Replication Study

Abstract

This study sought to replicate previous work in testing the hypothesis that interactions of dyads developing secure attachment relationships would be characterized by disproportionately synchronous and those of dyads developing insecure relationships by disproportionately asynchronous exchanges. Additionally, a priori hypotheses were tested regarding expected differences in the interactional histories of dyads developing insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant attachments. Results supported the study's predictions in all cases. Dyads developing secure attachments were observed at 3 and 9 months to interact in a disproportionately well-timed, reciprocal, and mutually rewarding manner; dyads developing insecure relationships were disproportionately characterized by interactions in which mothers were minimally involved, unresponsive to infant signals, or intrusive. Within the insecure group, as predicted, 3- and 9-month interactions of avoidant dyads were characterized by maternal intrusiveness and overstimulation; resistant dyads were characterized at both ages by poorly coordinated interactions in which mothers were underinvolved and inconsistent. These findings are discussed as they lend to a growing body of evidence concerning associations between differential interactional histories and attachment quality.

Relationship of Attachment Style to Personality Factors and Family Interaction Patterns

“…In a study of high-risk mother-infant dyads (Crittenden, 1985), bidirectional effects o f attachment were found, in which the mother initiated maltreatment but both mother and infant behaved in ways that maintained the maltreatment situation. Isabella and Belsky (1991) also studied the interactions of mothers and infants in a less extreme population; they found that mothers' responsiveness to their infants was intrusive in infants later classified as anxious/ avoidant (analogous to anxious/ambivalent) in the Strange Situation, and underinvolved in infants later classified as anxious/resistant (analogous to avoidant). Egelund and Farber (1984) found similar results, except that the anxious/resistant pattern appeared to be a result o f both poor caretaking and a poorly functioning newborn, the latter being assessed by observations o f nurses in the newborn nursery.…”

“…Isabella and Belsky (1991) found that motherchild dyads in which insecure attachment developed were characterized by interactions in which mothers were minimally involved, unresponsive to infant signals, or intrusive. Crowell and Feldman (1988) studied mothers' internal models of relationships, based on descriptions o f their own childhood relationships, and described them as detached, preoccupied, or secure.…”

Discussion of Extinction-Based Behavioral Sleep Interventions for Young Children and Reasons Why Parents May Find Them Difficult

“…Synchronicity of this dyad is foundational for the child's cognitive, social-emotional and self-regulatory skills, 52 and secure mother-infant attachment. 53 Findings from that study 51 suggested there could be unintended risks of extinction interventions, and many online parenting groups cited this study as "proof" of extinction being harmful. What some parents may not have seen was the response to this study from some pediatric sleep researchers who questioned study features which had the potential to alter the interpretation of findings.…”

Mind Mindedness o la capacidad del adulto para tratar al niño(a) como un individuo con mente: Nuevas perspectivas para el estudio de la interacción entre el(la) niño(a) preescolar y sus figuras de apego

“…posterior a su desarrollo, diferentes autores han discutido sobre la necesidad de delimitar el concepto en términos de qué y cómo observar la interacción diádica según el contexto y la edad del(la) niño(a) (Atkinson et al, 2005;isabella & Belsky, 1991;isabella, 1993;Meins, Fernyhough, Fradley & Tuckey, 2001), sobre todo porque se ha planteado que sería un factor transversal a diversas conductas de cuidado y que distintos tipos de respuesta sensible se esperan en contextos diferentes y en coherencia con las variadas etapas del desarrollo del ciclo vital (Bornstein, TamisleMonda, Hahn & Haynes, 2008;Thompson, 2000;van den Boom, 1997).…”