Responsiveness and Dependency Are Different Aspects of Social Contingencies: An Example from Mother and Infant Smiles

Authors

Douglas Symons, Acadia University
Greg Moran, University of Western OntarioFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1994

Journal

Infant Behavior and Development

Volume

17

Issue

2

First Page

209

Last Page

214

Abstract

Data from early mother-infant face-to-face interactions are used to demonstrate that a statistical association, widely accepted as the single indicator of sequential dependency between the behavior of two interactants, in fact reflects a combination of responsiveness and dependency comprising two independent aspects of the contingency environment. The derivation of these measures from behavior coded in real-time is illustrated in an analysis of the reciprocal relations between the smiling behavior of mothers and their 2- to 5-month-old infants.

Notes

Published in: Infant Behavior and Development, Volume 17, Issue 2, April-June 1994, pages 209-214. doi: 10.1016/0163-6383(94)90057-4