TIME PATTERNS IN PARENT-CHILD INTERACTIONS IN A TROBRIAND VILLAGE (PAPUA-NEW-GUINEA)

In June and July 1992 parent-infant interactions were analyzed among t he inhabitants of Tauwema (Trobriand Islands), who represent a traditi onally living society. Parent-infant interactions were continuously re gistered over a period of 7 days in 4 families with infants of 1, 2, 5 , and 11 months of age using a microelectronic actometer. Based on sel f-demand feeding, a remarkable synchronization between infant's and mo ther's movements occurred during both day and night. Despite the fact that the father also slept near the baby in the night no father-infant correlation was found. Among the children aged 5 and 11 months no noc turnal response of both parents' and siblings' movements relative to i nfant's activity was found. Power spectra revealed inter-individual di fferences of the rhythmicity patterns of infants and mothers depending on the infant's age. E.g. there is a dominant ultradian frequency of about 8 hours in the activity of the 2-month baby, in the 5-month-old infant the circadian frequency predominates. The mean sleep duration o f the observed infants is between 9 and 12 hours per day. This is cons iderably less than the duration stated for infants in Western countrie s.