My journey in infant research and psychoanalysis: Microanalysis, a social microscope.

Abstract

In this paper I describe my personal journey in infant research and psychoanalysis. I describe my work with Daniel Stern and Joseph Jaffe in infant research, and with Frank Lachmann in psychoanalysis. I note some of the people and ideas that influenced me along the way. Video microanalysis taught me to see how the intricate process of mother-infant moment-to-moment communication works. It is a powerful research, treatment, and training tool.Video microanalysis taught me to see how the intricate process of mother-infant momentto-moment communication works. It is a powerful research, treatment, and training tool. I owe my love of video microanalysis to Dan Stern.Video or film microanalysis operates like a social microscope into the underworld just below perceptible view in real time. Mother-infant communicative events occur in less than a second (Beebe, 1982). They are so rapid and subtle that they are not quite grasped in real time. By slowing down the movements, frame-by-frame microanalysis identifies remarkably beautiful moments, such as both partners rising up and up into glorious sunbursts of smiles. It also reveals very disturbing moments, such as maternal anger or disgust faces, or infants becoming frantically distressed or frozen in alarm. By videotaping mothers and infants split-screen, one camera on each partner, we can see the momentby-moment dialogue between the two.From birth, infants live in a two-person social world, and they are capable of coordinating their behaviors with those of the partner (Peery, 1980;Trevarthen, 1979).

Multimodal Study of Adult-Infant Interaction: A Review of Its Origins and Its Current Status

“…The etological studies on human development (for example Hinde, 1974;Konner, 1972) strongly influenced research on child psychological development in the 1970's (Perinat, 1980). The above mentioned microkinesics studies also marked the methodological approach of Stern and his collaborators (Beebe, 2014;Stern, 2010). The first microanalyses by Stern and his team were intended to describe the interactive behavioral patterns and the internal structure of the adult stimulations offered to the infants.…”

“…Stern took interest in the detailed study of mother-infant interactions in their daily context, inspired by etological studies that analyzed the communicative value of animal behaviors in their ecologic midst, paying attention to their form, sequence and temporality (Beebe, 2014;Stern, 1977). The etological studies on human development (for example Hinde, 1974;Konner, 1972) strongly influenced research on child psychological development in the 1970's (Perinat, 1980).…”

“…The most studied elements of these interactions have been facial expression, vocalizations and exchanges of eye contact (Stern, 2010;Beebe, 2014). A large number of research areas have continued to focus on this type of conducts since the 1970's until today, but the study of movement followed a particular course: in the 1970's, it was considered a core topic to understand the organization of adult-infant interactions but, afterwards, it only continued beyond the main research currents (Stern, 2010;Bebee, 2014;Jaffe, Beebe, Feldstein, Crown, & Jasnow, 2001).…”

From turn-by-turn to larger chunks of talk: An exploratory study in psychotherapeutic micro-processes using conversation analysis

“…Beebe, 2014) could microanalytically observe patterns of disturbed interaction, like the chase and dodge-pattern that predicts from the age of 4-months the attachment state at one year. It is not only the baby's development that is of interest here.…”

Video-feedback intervention in mother-baby dyads with depressive symptomatology and relationship difficulties

“…Thus, with the therapist's help, these images are shown to the mother in order to foster her reflection on her baby's physical and verbal cues, as well as on her own representational models and bonding experiences (Rusconi-Serpa, Sancho Rossignol & McDonough, 2009). According to Beebe (2014), video feedback allows parents to learn about their babies' non-verbal language, thus promoting new forms of interaction. The objective is to provide parents with a new perspective on the child's non-verbal language and his/her skills and behaviors (Beebe, 2010).…”