Similarities and differences in infant-mother and infant-father interaction in the strange situation: A component process analysis.

This study examined similarities and differences in infant–mother and infant–father interaction. Previously published data (Belsky, Garduque, & Hrncir, 1984) on infants observed in the Strange Situation with their mothers (N?=?60) and fathers (N?=?50) at 12 and 13 months were reanalyzed using a component process approach to investigate (a) whether the organization of social interactive behavior is relationally based, (b) the factor-analytic structure of social interaction with the two caregivers, (c) the predictive power of crying and social interactive behavior with each caregiver to subsequent behavior with a stranger, and (d) the relative cross-caregiver consistency of crying versus social interaction. Results indicated (a) that the organization of infant social interaction depends on the interactive partner and on the affective context, (b) that infant behavior with the father is more predictive of infant–stranger interaction than is infant–mother interaction, and (c) that crying is more consistent than social interaction across caregivers. Results are interpreted as being consistent with a view of attachment relationships as relationally based and as evidence for the usefulness of the finer-grained analysis provided by the component process approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)