Patterns of vocal coordination in mother-infant dyads during episodes of positive and negative affectivity

tudies of intersubjectivity have focused on moments of matching or correspondence (Trevarthen, 1998;Meltzoff,1985; Stern, 1985), yet normal mother-infant interaction is found to be in correspondence only 30% of the time (Tronick, 1989, 1998). Leaving the other 70% relatively understudied. Intersubjectivity in a broad sense (Beebe et al, 2005) encompass the full complexity of how two minds interrelate and include negative patterns of difference, disengagement and mismatch. The aim of the present study is to explore different patterns of vocal coordination in normal mother-infant interaction related to different affective states. A quantitative semiautomatic method for measuring coordinated interpersonal timing and intensity of vocalization has been developed using PRAAT and employed for here analysis of the timings and patterns of vocal correspondence in the dyad. Methodology and data from six mother infant dyads will be presented. Further the relationship between therapist and client is often compared with the relationship between infant and caregiver, and the possible relevance of our present findings for psychotherapeutic processes will be discussed.