Development of spontaneous grandparent–infant imitation across the first year of life

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explore and compare systematically the developmental patterns of certain aspects of imitation, longitudinally from 2 to 10 months, in interactions of infants with grandfathers and grandmothers. Sixteen infants were video-recorded at home in the course of spontaneous dyadic interactions with maternal grandfathers and grandmothers. Micro-analysis of imitative episodes provided evidence of similarities in the developmental pattern of infant imitations, totally and of certain imitated acts, and infant turn-taking imitations, while differences were found for infant imitation, totally, and for vowel–consonant imitation, the developmental pattern of infant co-actions and facial expression imitations. Grandfathers and grandmothers offer infants a sense of consistency – with predictable and overlapping behaviours – and a redundant variety of stimulatory and unique communications. It is assumed that grandfathers constitute carefully attentive, sensitive communicating partners and unique emotional components of infants’ social experience who promote adaptive development.