The co-construction of joint action between mothers and 2-4-month-old infants: The mother's role

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to describe object-centred inter actions between mothers and their 2-4-month-old infants, before and during the emergence of reaching and grasping movements. We hypothesized that when reaching movements emerge at around. 3 months, mothers alternate between a ttention stimulation and reaching stimulation, before joint actions between mother and infant develop around objects. Twelve dyads were recorded when infants were 2 months, 3 months and 4 months. The interactive sessions last ed 5 min. Three age-appropriate toys the infant could handle were available to the mother. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on verba l and non-verbal maternal behaviours, motor infant behaviours and co-occurr ences of those behaviours. The developmental course of prehension in infant s when playing with their mother follows similar pathways, as was described when they are observed alone. Mothers appeared to early scaffold prehensio n skills by verbal and non-verbal means. Moreover, maternal behaviours chan ge according to the infant's behaviour, and conversely, infant's behaviours influence maternal behaviours: mother plays first an active part in joint action, while later on, the infant achieves joint action when moter skills develop. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.