Abstract

Investigations using the face-to-face procedure have demonstrated the importance of maternal nonverbal behaviours in mother-infant interactions, however, fewer studies have explored the contribution of maternal and infant nonverbal behaviours in play. The present study was designed to examine nonverbal communicative behaviours in mother-infant interactions, and investigate how mothers adjust their behaviours to the developmental level of their infants and similarly, how infant behaviours change over time. More specifically, nonverbal strategies that mothers use with toys to structure the attention of their infants within a free play context were examined. Gaze, an important index of attention was used to assess infant attentional behaviours. Given that the motivating force of play is affective in nature, the present study also measured active and passive affection to address the affective component of play between mothers and infants. Twenty-six mother-infant dyads were studied longitudinally at both 5 and 12 months and participated in an 8-minute free play period that included age appropriate toys.