The relation between coordinated interpersonal timing and maternal sensitivity in four-month-old infants

J Psycholinguist Res. 2003 Sep;32(5):525-39. doi: 10.1023/a:1025494200272.

Abstract

The relation between mother-infant coordinated interpersonal timing, an automated microanalytic measure of dyadic vocal coordination, and maternal sensitivity was explored. Thirty-five mothers and their developmentally normal 4-month-old infants were audio-recorded during a 20-min laboratory vocal interaction session, that was later analyzed for degree of vocal coordination. Maternal Sensitivity ratings (Ainsworth & Bell, 1969) were based on a video-taped 45-min unstructured laboratory interaction period. A significant curvilinear relation between the degree to which mother coordinated her noninterruptive co-occurring speech to that of her infant was found and revealed that mothers highest in sensitivity were characterized by moderate levels of coordination. Examining mother-infant interaction at the specific behavioral level, while incorporating tests of nonlinear trends, may provide important information about the nature of sensitive parenting.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Male
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Social Perception*
  • Time Factors
  • Verbal Behavior