CONNECTION AND SEPARATION IN THE INFANT-MOTHER DYAD - PATTERNS OF TOUCH AND USE OF INTERPERSONAL SPACE

Infant-mother boundaries were operationalized in terms of body-to-body contact and use of interpersonal space. The unit of observation was t he infant-mother dyad. Infants between the ages of 12 and 24 months an d their mothers were observed in three situations: self- and mother-re cognition tasks, and the free-play and second reunion episodes of the Strange Situation. Infant-mother touch and the pattern of proximity-di stality were principally determined by context of interaction; and, in the more stressful and more structured situations, the connection-sep aration balance favored connection, whereas in the free-play situation the balance favored separation. Infant-mother touch and use of interp ersonal space were not found to be isomorphic to attachment; in additi on, attachment interacted with age and gender of the infant to describ e level of connection-separation. Results are discussed in the context of working models of the relationship and formation of boundaries.