Microanalytic Coding Research Articles

Coordinated interpersonal timing in adult-infant vocal interactions: A cross-site replication

Coordinated interpersonal tinning exists when the temporal pattern of each partner in a dialogue is predictable from that of the other. Using a completely automated microanalytic technique to time the sequence of vocal sounds and silences in an interaction, we studied 28 four-month-old infants in face-to-face play with mother and a female stranger. Fifteen infants were recorded on one site and 13 at another. Time-series regression was used to evaluate the direction and magnitude of interpersonal prediction. Results indicated that (a) significant coordination (or its absence) occurred at both sites for 90% of the comparisons, and (b) the lag that best predicted the partner was 20 to 30 s at both sites. Unlike the labor-intensive microanalytic coding techniques that have dominated mother-infant interaction research, this work has the following advantages: (a) the automated instrumentation times behavior with a precision unobtainable by the unaided human observer; (b) the sound-silence variables are unambiguously defined for computer processing; and (c) the microanalytic method is applicable to large-sample studies. This automated method has shown its clinical utility in its power to predict 1-year developmental outcomes from 4-month coordinated interpersonal timing.

Sociomoral development in direct-instruction, eclectic, and constructivist kindergartens: A study of children's enacted interpersonal understanding

Enacted interpersonal understanding was studied in 56 children from three kindergarten programs in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods: a direct-instruction program (DI) called DISTAR, representing the cultural-transmission paradigm in educational thought; a constructivist program (CON) representing the cognitive-developmental paradigm; and an eclectic program (ECL) having some characteristics of both paradigms. Pairs of children were videotaped playing a board game and dividing stickers. Selman's conceptualization of enacted interpersonal understanding at three levels of Negotiation Strategies (NS) and Shared Experiences (SE) was used in microanalytic coding of videotapes and transcripts. Analysis of 8,256 NS and SE showed a predominant use of Level 1 in all groups. The CON group consistently had the highest percentage of Level 2 and DI the lowest. The CON group was more interpersonally active, having a greater number and variety of NS and SE than the other two groups. When group differences in Level 0 NS and SE appeared, CON had the lowest percentage and DI the highest. Analysis of 292 conflicts during the game showed no differences among the groups on number or subject of conflict, but revealed the same pattern of program differences in levels of interpersonal understanding as described for the entire game. No gender differences and no differences in cognitive understanding of the game were found. No differences were found in mothers' reported childrearing attitudes and practices. Interviews on life in their classrooms showed differences among programs in children's perceptions of rules, punishments, activities, and responsibilities. Differences were observed among the groups in the degree to which children continued their activities when the teacher left the classroom. While the directinstruction group had significantly higher scores on preschool-screening tests and first-grade achievement tests than both constructivist and eclectic groups, the differences between direct-instruction and constructivist groups disappeared by third grade. Results are discussed in terms of policy implications for early education.