How still? Parent–infant interaction during the still‐face and later infant attachment

Abstract

AbstractIn the still‐face episode of the Face‐to‐Face/Still‐Face (FFSF), parents are asked to become unresponsive. However, infant–parent interaction may be irrepressible, and there is some evidence that interaction during the still‐face is associated with attachment outcome. To explore these questions, we independently coded the continuous affective valence (negative to positive) of seventy‐three 6‐month‐old infants (45 males; 36 Hispanic/Latinx; 38 White, 3 Black/African‐American, 2 Asian, 30 multiracial) and their parents (Mage = 36 years; 5 males; 30 Hispanic/Latinx; 65 White, 3 Black/African‐American, 2 Asian, 2 unknown) during the FFSF and assessed attachment at 15 months with the Strange Situation Procedure (n = 66). There was a mean positive correlation between moment‐to‐moment parent and infant affective valence, indicating synchronous affective interaction during the still‐face (d = 0.63). Higher levels of affect interaction during the still‐face episode were detected in infants later classified as disorganised compared to securely attached (d = 0.97). Findings underscore the importance of testing for still‐face interaction and suggest that this interaction may be an unappreciated predictor of infant attachment outcomes.