The role of maternal affect attunement in dyadic and triadic communication

Author(s)
Maria Legerstee, Gabriela Markova, Tamara Fisher
Abstract

The influence of maternal affect attunement on the relationship between gaze monitoring during dyadic communication at 3 months and coordinated attention during triadic communication at 5, 7 and 10 months was examined in a longitudinal study. Although most infants engaged in gaze monitoring at 3 months and in coordinated attention at 5, 7 and 10 months, a regression analysis revealed that gaze monitoring at 3 months significantly predicted coordinated attention at 10 months only when maternal affect attunement was high. These findings are discussed in terms of theories that emphasize the role of social interaction in the development of meaningful communication and continuity in mental state awareness during the first year of life.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
York University
Journal
Infant Behavior and Development
Volume
30
Pages
296-306
No. of pages
11
ISSN
0163-6383
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2006.10.003
Publication date
2007
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
501005 Developmental psychology
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/the-role-of-maternal-affect-attunement-in-dyadic-and-triadic-communication(8295621b-58e1-4448-9c66-4dbf6cfeb102).html