Prediction from early interaction Messinger. Face-to-face n Self-regulation develops in the context of mutual regulatory parent-infant systems (face-to-face.

Prediction from early interaction

Messinger

Face-to-face

Self-regulation develops in the context of mutual regulatory parent-infant systems (face-to-face interactions)

the coordination of affective expression during face-to-face interactions facilitates the transition from mutual regulation to self-regulation.

Face-to-face synchrony infants’ first opportunity – to practice interpersonal coordination of biological

rhythms, – to experience the mutual regulation of positive arousal,– to build the lead-lag structure of an adult communication.

A close look at interaction

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The fundamental question of socialization

“How young children begin to adopt parental rules, and how regulation of conduct shifts from external

to internal?” Kopp (1982)

From coordinated interactions at 3 months to self-regulation at 3 years control, self-control, self-regulation

- 12 to 18 months: children become capable of control, the awareness of social demands and the ability to initiate, maintain, and cease behavior, and to comply with caregivers’ request.

- by 24 months: they acquire self control, which further includes the ability to delay on request and begin to regulate behavior, even in the absence of external monitors

- by 36 months: they begin to be capable of self-regulation, or flexibility of control processes that meet changing situational demands.

WHY?

Face-to-face

The predilection of mothers to shift affective states to match those of their infants is related to increases in infants self-control and cognitive performance at two years

7

Face-to-face/still-face

More detail

Smiling and crying in SF at 2, 4, and 6 mos was unstable– Crying %s stable from 4 – 6 mos

No impact of chronicity of maternal depression on infant sf behavior

% of smiling and crying in SF does not predict mother rated internalizing and externalizing at 18 months

9

But

Tercile groups– Smiling predicts externalizing– Crying predicts internalizing

In fact – Smilers (68%) show less externalizing– Criers (67%) show more internalizing

Mother depression also independently predicts internalizing and externalizing

10

Prediction from the still-face

“Infants who failed to smile at 6 months in the still-face interaction showed more externalizing-type behaviors than did other toddlers.

Infants who failed to cry at 6 months showed fewer internalizing-type behaviors.”

TBCL – Internalizing: emotional instability, immaturity, shyness– Externalizing: oppositional and physical aggression

• Moore et al., 2001

11

Dynamic still-face effect

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Gaze At Parent

Seconds

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Fre

qu

en

cy

2468

1012141618

Smile

Seconds

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Fre

qu

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cy

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Cry-Face

Seconds

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Fre

qu

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cy

0

2

4

6

8

10

Social Bids

Seconds

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Fre

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0

1

2

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ObservedPredicted

Ekas, et al., 2012

Face-to-face reciprocity early self-regulatory mechanisms

3/9 months Infant difficult temperament

(1st year), maternal synchrony

(3 months) mutual synchrony

(9 months)

Self-control

2 years

(Feldman et al., 1999)

Developmental continuity through adolescence Participating in a synchronous exchange may sensitize

infants to the emotional resonance and empathy underlying human relationships across the life span.– “How do early relational patterns experienced in

infancy turn into stable personality orientations in adolescence and adult life?” (Feldman, 2007)

– (3 months to 13 years)

18

Adolescent’s capacity to engage in an empathetic exchange

Child self-regulated compliance across the toddler and preschool years mediated the relations between the lead-lag structure of early interactions and the adolescent's dialogical skills.

Direct associations were found between mother-infant synchrony and the capacity for empathy in adolescence.

• (Feldman, 07)

Feldman, 0720

Mediated associations

Mother-infant synchrony capacity for empathy in adolescence

21

Feldman, 2007

Mutual Responsive Orientation

“a positive, close, mutually binding, and cooperative relationship, which encompasses two components: responsiveness and shared positive affect”

Kochanska

22

How does MRO work?

Positive mood yields prosocial behavior Promotes responsive stance toward parent And committed compliance

– Eagerly working with parent– Potential pathway to internalization– Kochanska

Kochanska’s argument

Mutual positive expression in particular – rather than matching of affect in general - leads to children’s internalization of social norms and committed compliance to maternal directives

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Organization of Conscience

Emotions and conduct– Emerge early– Show cross-situational consistency– Moderate longitudinal stability (.3-.6)

Precursors– Committed compliance: “An eager, willing stance

toward parental directives and demands”– Situational compliance: “Yield to parental

pressure”

Kolnik

The Evidence

200 mother-child dyads Concurrent and longitudinal links

Between MR relationships and a strong conscience (Kochanska, 1997; Kochanska, Forman, & Coy, 1999; Kochanska & Murray, 2000)

Farhat

Children’s Conscience and Self-Regulation (Kochanska & Aksan, 2006)

Conscience: an inner self-regulatory system Results from 3 large longitudinal studies

Conscience

Moral Emotions

Moral Conduct

Predictors of Conscience

Temperament

Socialization

Kolnik

Predictors of Conscience Temperament

– Fearfulness Underpinning of children’s guilt

– Effortful control Underpinning of children’s emerging ability to regulate their

conduct

Socialization of the family– Reciprocal, positive interactions necessary– Mutually responsive orientation (MRO)

Parent/child cooperativeness & responsiveness Shared dyadic positive affect

– Parental warm discipline v. parental power assertionKolnik

Through interaction, infants come to understand themselves as social beings who affect and are affected by others

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Proposed mechanism

Young infants who act with the developing expectation of eliciting

positive affect in the parent develop to be young children who regulate themselves to please their

parents.

34

Parent-Infant Interaction

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Infant Smile, Mother Smile

37

Empathy Empathy ASD diagnosis ASD diagnosis Empathy Empathy ASD severity ASD severity

r = -.45*

McDonald & Messinger (JADD, 2012)McDonald & Messinger (JADD, 2012)

Morality is implicitly interactive

Acting with respect to the expectations of a generalized other—

norms—expecting one’s actions to affect others.

40

Overall Finding

“Children growing up with parents who are responsive to their needs and whose interactions are infused with happy

emotions adopt a willing, responsive stance toward parental influence and become eager

to embrace parental values and standards for behavior.”

– Kochanska, 2002

41

Which is better?

Messinger

Romero

Hane and Fox, 2006

Autism Risk and Early Parent-Child Interaction

Supported by evidence with diagnosed children:– Early Intervention (e.g., Lovaas 1987; Sallows & Graupner, 2005; Smith et al., 2000)

– Language growth (Siller & Sigman 2002, 2008).

Dawson (2008)

Different Structures of Parenting in the Context of Emergent Autism: 15 months

No ASD

Emergent ASD

StructuringEmotional

Supportive-ness

StructuringEmotional

Supportive-ness

r = .75***

r = .12ns

Sensitivity (e=3.03, 76%)

Responsiveness .95Respect for Autonomy .83Positive Regard .84Structuring .86

E.S. Structuring (e=2.87, 72%) (e=1.02, 25%)

Responsiveness .98Respect for Autonomy .96Positive Regard .98Structuring 1.00

Baker, et al., 2010

Sensitive StructuringExpressive Language Growth

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For toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis

Baker, et al., 2010

Sensitive Structuring

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Thinking about feelings: emotion focus in the parenting of children with early developmental risk Emotion—social skills

– Among kids with delay and without

Gangi

Baker & Crnic, 2009

Still-faceSecurity