Distinguish between triadic and dyadic forms of communication during infancy and evaluate to what extent they show intentional communication on the part of the infant.
Meltzoff and Moore (1977 &
1994): neonates can
reproduce simple actions
such as tongue or lip
protrusions and mouth
openings after they have
been enacted by an adult.
Field et al (1982):
match basic
emotional
expressions with
those seen in an
adult’s face.
imitation an indicator of
cognitive skills (shows can
match model with own
proprioceptive senstations -
feel own body movements)
and experience
correspondence between
parts of their own bodies and
someone else’s body (Franco,
1997).
an indicator of interpersonal
skills = shows the baby’s
preparedness for ‘mutuality’
(Meltzoff, 2007).
Bruner (1983) and Tomasello (1999):
capacity to share attention with others
at 8–10 months is the greatest
milestone en route to language
development
infants are able to see, hear and
coordinate individuals with
certain sounds from a young age =
prerequisites for communication
are present in infants.
Intersubjectivity
Trevarthen suggested infants have an
interactive synchrony which is an innate
intersubjectivity -
Primary intersubjectivity: born with ability to use the
behaviours of the partner in ‘conversational’
encounter, Each partner can mirror the motivations
and purposes of their companion, Infants and their
partners are thus in immediate “sympathetic contact”
(Trevarthen, 1998, p. 8). this is a “Psychology of
mutually sensitive minds” with the infant
demonstrating a crucial awareness of the partner’s
feelings and purposes before words and language
develop. Overall, suggesting that babies response to
adults is their version of communication. Primary
intersubjectivity is therefore dyadic, as it occurring
simply with regards to the interaction.
Secondary intersubjectivity: coordinating
and sharing with another person’s
attention, feelings and intentions toward
an object, event, or action. implies
awareness of shared affect or agency
with the other in reference to a third
component (Trevarthen, 1993; 1998;
Trevarthen & Hubley, 1978). involves
objects therefore triadic.
Summarised, primary intersubjectivity is you speak to
me whereas secondary intersubjectivity is you speak
to me about something else.
Being Understood
Grosse, Behne, Carpenter & Tomasello
(2010): investigated 18, 24- & 30-months
olds and either gave them what they
wanted when they asked or didn’t. =
children at all ages repaired their requests
in the case of a misunderstanding even if
they had obtained the requested object –
they react to the adult if they believe the
adult has misunderstood them (i.e. “no
ball”), want to clarify the adults knows
what they meant to say regardless of
whether they got what they want. children
in the correct understanding condition did
not repair their communication, even if
they did not get the requested object. =
shows that, like adults, children want to be
understood regardless of whether they get
the object they wished for. highlighting
ability to understand communications.
Turn Taking
Condon & Sander (1974): frame-by-frame
analysis of babies’ movements when an
adult was speaking to them = babies move
in time with the rhythm of the conversation,
engaging in a subtle form of turn-taking.
Kaye (1977): characteristic
‘species-specific’ feeding
pattern for human ‘Sucking -
stop- rocking - sucking’
Pauses don’t fulfil any
alimentary function ->
turn-taking.
Joint Attention
2 people share interest in an object
or event and understanding between
them that they are both interested
in the same object or event. There
are three levels: triadic, dyadic, and
shared gaze.
Triadic joint attention: highest level of joint attention
& involves 2 individuals looking at an object (Oates &
Grayson, 2004). Each must understand that the other
is looking at the same object & realize that there is an
element of shared attention (Reddy, 2005). individual
must display awareness that focus is shared between
themselves and another individual (Hobson, 2005).
Triadic attention is marked by the individual looking
back to the other individual after looking at the
object.
Dyadic joint attention is a
conversation-like
behavior that individuals
engage in. start engaging
in this behavior at
2months (Oates, 2004).
Adults and infants take
turns exchanging facial
expressions, noises, and
in the case of the adult,
speech.
Shared gaze occurs when 2 individuals are simply
looking at an object (Okamoto-Barth & Tomonaga,
2006). lowest level of joint attention. use of gesture or
gaze to share attention about something, involves an
infant’s gaze alternating between the object and the
communication partner. This is an important context
for learning/language acquisition. Individuals who
engage in triadic joint attention must understand both
gaze and intention to establish common reference.
Gaze refers to a child's understanding of the link
between mental activity and the physical act of seeing.
Pointing acts in a similar way,
to shared gaze. It can serve
two basic functions:
Proto-imperative (i.e.“I want
that”) and Proto-declarative
(i.e. “I want to draw your
attention towards that”).
Proto-imperative pointing is
not necessarily a
communicative partner, but a
means to achieve an end.
proto-declarative pointing is a
communicative partner.
Still Face
One of the most robust phenomenon demonstrating
protoconversational ability in infants is the negative effects
caused by the sudden still face adopted by a social partner in a
face-to-face interaction with the infant at around 5– 6 months of
age (Tronick et al,1978). engage for several minutes in a normal
face-to-face dyadic interplay, which is then halted (adult
suddenly adopts & holds a neutral still face for 1–2 min). Infants
= sig increase in negative affects expressed via reduced eye
contacts, reduced smiling, together with increased drooling and
self-comforting that are typically associated with social stress
(Mayes & Carter, 1990; Muir & Hains, 1993; Toda & Fogel, 1993;
Tronick et al., 1978). reaction is interpreted as the expression of
social expectations by the infant, and the sense of a disruption
of positive coregulation (Hains and Muir, 1996; Tronick, 1989).
Communication: 2-way process between
adult and child. Adults communicate with
infants through Face-to-face position,
Imitation of baby, and Baby directed
speech/ motherese (Fernald, 1985). Infants
respond to this communication through Eye
Contact, Facial Emotional Expression, Early
imitation, and Vocal responses.
Dyadic Communication is a form of
interpersonal communication involving 2
people communication where 2 persons
seek to exchange information = occurs
simply with regard to the interaction itself.
triadic communication involves an object
being discussed