Abstract
BackgroundVideo communication is increasingly used to connect people around the world. This includes connecting young children with their parents and other relatives during times of separation. An important issue is the extent to which video communication with children can approximate a physical presence such that familial relationships can be truly maintained by this means.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe current study employed an adaptation of the Separation and Reunion Paradigm with children (17 months to 5 years) to investigate the potential for video communication with a parent to afford a sense of proximity and security to children. The protocol involved a free-play session with the parent, followed by two separation-reunion episodes. During one of the separation episodes the parent was ‘virtually available’ to the child via a video link. Our results revealed three important differences. First, children left alone played longer in a strange room when their parent was virtually available to them compared to when the children were left alone with neither physical nor video contact with their parent. Second, younger participants sought physical contact with their parent less at the end of the video separation episode compared to when they were left entirely alone. Finally, the comparison between free play with video and free play with parent, revealed that the children exhibit a similar level of interactivity with their parent by video as they did in person.Conclusions/SignificanceFor young children a video connection can have many of the same effects as a physical presence. This is a significant finding as it is the first such empirical demonstration and indicates considerable promise in video communication as a tool to maintain family relationships when physical presence is not possible.
Highlights
Since Bowlby [1] first introduced attachment theory, it has been accepted that physical proximity is necessary for young children to form and maintain a secure attachment with an adult
The fundamental contribution of this research is the discovery that a parental presence via video link is sufficient to allow young children to feel secure in an unfamiliar environment
This empirical verification is crucial in considering the potential of video communication to play a role in the maintenance or formation of secure attachments
Summary
Since Bowlby [1] first introduced attachment theory, it has been accepted that physical proximity is necessary for young children to form and maintain a secure attachment with an adult. With video communication, it is feasible for people to have real-time enriched communication without physical proximity. This interaction opportunity raises important and interesting questions about the extent, if at all, to which virtual proximity is enough for young children to maintain or possibly create relationships and establish a feeling of security with others. Video communication is increasingly used to connect people around the world This includes connecting young children with their parents and other relatives during times of separation. An important issue is the extent to which video communication with children can approximate a physical presence such that familial relationships can be truly maintained by this means
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