EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF BIRTH ORDER ON EMOTIONAL "DIALOGUES" IN SPONTANEOUS MOTHER-INFANT INTERACTION.

Objective: The focus of this longitudinal, naturalistic and in-between family study is to investigate systematically infant and maternal facial expressions of emotions with the aim to compare emotional coordination and non-matching in spontaneous dyadic interactions of first-born and second-bom infants with their mother in the course of early infancy. Method: Towards this aim, eight infant-mother dyads from Crete, Greece (four firstborn infant-mother pairs and four second-bom infant-mother pairs), were observed during their natural interactions at home from the second to the sixth month of life. Coding: Within well-defined units and sub-units of analysis, microanalysis of spontaneous infant and maternal facial expressions of emotions was carried out according to the type, the frequency, the valence and and the intensity of facial expressions. This information was then integrated into the following two interpersonal engagement categories: 1) Emotional coordination was evaluated with four measures: a) matching (one partner expressed the type of facial expression of emotion of the other partner), b) synchrony (matching in the frequency of facial expressions of emotion of the two partners); c) completement [one partner expressed the positive valence of facial expression of emotion (pleasure, interest) of the other partner]; and d) attunement (one partner expressed the shifts in the direction of emotional intensity of the other partner); and 2) Emotional mismatching was coded when one, or either partner was not interested in interacting with the other partner. Results: This study provided evidence of qualitative and quantitative differences which are summarized as following: a) emotional coordination (matching, synchrony, completement and attunement) was stronger and more accurate in first-born infantmother interactions compared to second-bom infant-mother dyads; c) emotional nonmatching was stronger, more frequent and varied in second-bom infant-mother interactions compared tofirst-bom infant-mother dyads; d) emotional consistency was stronger for pleasure and interest expressed by first-bom infants compared to secondbom infants, while within-infant emotional consistency was stronger for external interest, neutral and negative emotion expressed by second-boms compared tofirst-born infants; emotional consistency for mothers of second-bom infants was more intense compared to mothers of first bom infants; and e) emotional matching, completement and nonmatching follow different developmental patterns in interactions of first-born infants and second-bom infants with their mothers across the age range of this study. Conclusion: Within the frame of the theory of innate intersubjectivity, we assumed that first-bom infant-mother and second-bom-infant-mother dyads may vary in the way they adjust the timing, form and energy of their emotional expressions in order to obtain inter-synchrony. These variation patterns may have implications for all partners' ability to regulate and negotiate interpersonal challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]