Theta power relates to infant object encoding in naturalistic mother-infant interactions
- Author(s)
- Christine Michel, Daniel Matthes, Stefanie Hoehl
- Abstract
This study investigates infants' neural and behavioral responses to maternal ostensive signals during naturalistic mother-infant interactions and their effects on object encoding. Mothers familiarized their 9- to 10-month-olds (N = 35, 17 females, mainly White, data collection: 2018–2019) with objects with or without mutual gaze, infant-directed speech, and calling the infant's name. Ostensive signals focused infants' attention on objects and their mothers. Infant theta activity synchronized and alpha activity desynchronized during interactions compared to a nonsocial resting phase (Cohen' d: 0.49–0.75). Yet, their amplitudes were unrelated to maternal ostensive signals. Ostensive signals did not facilitate object encoding. However, higher infant theta power during encoding predicted better subsequent object recognition. Results strengthen the role of theta-band power for early learning processes.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology
- External organisation(s)
- University of Applied Health Sciences, Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig University of Applied Sciences
- Journal
- Child Development
- Volume
- 95
- Pages
- 530-543
- No. of pages
- 14
- ISSN
- 0009-3920
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14011
- Publication date
- 09-2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501005 Developmental psychology
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health, Education, Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/theta-power-relates-to-infant-object-encoding-in-naturalistic-motherinfant-interactions(32df93c9-aaf3-4019-9f2f-12b3bfd984e3).html