SYSTEMIC ANALYSIS OF FATHER-MOTHER-BABY INTERACTIONS - THE LAUSANNE TRIADIC PLAY

Taking on the study of triadic interactions necessitates a dual perspe ctive - one focusing on the triad as a whole and the other on the orga nization of its parts. Our method associates the framework of systems theory with the ethological-microanalytical approach. We use it both a s a clinical tool and to analyze thoroughly visible interactions in si ngle cases, leading to the comparison of problematic and nonproblemati c families in order to explore and generate hypotheses. To introduce o ur methodology, we first present the Lausanne triadic play exercise, w hich we designed for the observation of the triad as a whole while sys tematically varying the individual contributions. We then describe our method for analyzing the triadic interactions on the upper body, lowe r body, and gaze levels. We illustrate it through the analysis of two contrasting families with 17-week-old babies which, on clinical ground s, represent key aspects of interaction found in our population.