A Longitudinal Study of Exploring Interactions between Companionship and Attachment with the Mother in Infancy

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Previous studies on mother-infant attachment relations have demonstrated rather "all good things go together" effects. For instance, the NICHD longitudinal study (2005), which is a national-wide research project in U.S. to investigate effects of early child care on child developments, reported that child attachment to the mother at15 months of age did not have any relations to childcare experiences, but only maternal sensitivity in infancy did. However, those conclusions that parent-child relationships at home had a cosmic effect on a daycare context came form the limited results without examining teacher child relations, friend relations, or individual difference of parents which may have influence children in a daycare situation. Besides, their main data were based on researches after 15 months of age, and parent-infant relations at home during infancy could be little focused.In this study, we explored cross-influences, interactions and independency between two developmental courses; … More of secure attachment and of intersubjectivity / companionship with parents in infancy. While attachment is defined as a secure function under a dangerous situation, intersubjectivity / companionship is observed in an everyday communication/play. Although infant attachment and intersubjectivity are considered two engines for infants to unfold socio-emotional development, their relations have not known.Method: 50 pairs of mother-infant joined this project. A) Maternal interaction styles: using the video baby diary method, from 2 weeks to 15months of age, B) Primary intersubjectivity at 4months, C) Maternal sensitivity at 6months, D) Joint attention at 10months and E) Attachment type at 13 monthsMain result: A) Maternal playfulness related to intersubjectivity at 4 months, but sensitivity was not. B) Maternal sensitivity at 6 months predicted for attachment types at 13 months, but playfulness did not.Conclusion: Therefore, it was concluded that two developmental dimensions of mother-infant interactions of companionship/intersubjectivity and sensitivity/attachment may be independent each other. Less