Infant Behavior & Development最新文献

{"title":"Caregiver mirroring as a foundation for facial feedback mechanisms in emotion perception","authors":"Elizabeth Tye,&nbsp;Sebastian Korb,&nbsp;Carina C.J.M. de Klerk","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The facial feedback hypothesis suggests that facial muscle activity contributes to emotion perception, but the developmental origins of this mechanism remain underspecified. This theoretical paper argues that caregiver mirroring - specifically caregivers’ contingent imitation of infant facial expressions - plays a critical role in establishing the facial feedback mechanism. Drawing on previous empirical findings, we propose that repeated episodes of being mirrored provide infants with reliable sensorimotor contingencies linking facial action, proprioceptive feedback, and emotional states. We further consider situations that impede caregiver mirroring – such as infant dummy (pacifier) use and caregiver botulinum toxin (Botox) treatment – as naturalistic perturbations of these contingencies. This paper highlights how caregiver facial mirroring may scaffold infants’ developing emotion processing, offering a socially embedded perspective on the early development of embodied emotional understanding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 102233"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148857831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiaxial evaluation of mother-child interaction in toddlers with feeding problems","authors":"Hatice Gülşen ,&nbsp;Koray Karabekiroğlu ,&nbsp;Elif Pekmezci Yazgı ,&nbsp;Miraç Barış Usta ,&nbsp;Tuğba Ayçiçek Dinçer","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102179","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102179","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent research emphasizes the critical role of parent-child interaction quality in the development and maintenance of feeding problems (FP). This study examined the relationship between mother-toddler interaction quality and FP in in toddlers aged 12–36 months, incorporating recent theoretical advances and intervention approaches. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted with 58 mother-toddler dyads (33 with FP, 25 nonFP) recruited from pediatric and child psychiatry clinics. Mothers completed standardized assessments including Infancy Adaptive Eating Behavior Scale, Brief Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment, and Brief Symptom Inventory. Mother-toddler interactions during play and structured tasks were video-recorded and scored using the Mother-Toddler Interaction Multiaxial Assessment (MTI-MAXA). Toddlers with FP exhibited significantly more problematic eating behaviors and lower interaction quality compared to nonFP group. Mothers in the FP group had significantly lower total scores, particularly in Reciprocity and Flexibility-Adaptation. Toddlers in the FP group showed lower scores across most subscales, with overall dyadic interaction quality significantly poorer. Higher child involvement scores were associated with reduced odds of having FP, and greater maternal interaction quality predicted lower FP severity. No significant differences were found in maternal or child psychopathological risk between groups. The MTI-MAXA demonstrated excellent interrater reliability, with high internal consistency for both maternal (α =.933) and child (α =.946) interaction scores. These findings demonstrate that early relational difficulties contribute to FP independently of psychopathology. The study provides evidence for the effectiveness of observational assessment tools in identifying at-risk dyads and supports the implementation of family-centered, relationally-focused interventions. Early identification and targeted intervention focusing on interaction quality may prevent the escalation of subclinical difficulties into diagnosable feeding disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 102179"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146147355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infant positioning behavior varies across time and between assessment contexts","authors":"Julie M. Orlando ,&nbsp;Abram Banoub ,&nbsp;Samantha Namit ,&nbsp;Eman Alhindi ,&nbsp;Amani Kiruga ,&nbsp;Christopher Rasmussen ,&nbsp;Michele A. Lobo","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Infants are provided unique, developmentally impactful experiences when in different positions. This research examined infant positioning over time, between assessment contexts, and in relation to child development. Infants one to six months old were assessed for six months. Infant position was measured during ten-minute play sessions using computer vision and across two full days when awake using a smart garment. Percent time supine, reclined, upright (sitting or standing), inclined, and prone were quantified. Linear mixed-effects models and Spearman correlation analyses were used to evaluate the data. Forty-nine dyads enrolled. Over time, infants spent less time supine and more time upright. Less time in supine was correlated with more advanced motor development. Infant positioning varied when assessed in different contexts. These findings highlight how infant positioning behavior changes across time, can be measured using novel technologies, and may be influenced by the context of measurement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 102202"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148057645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Neurophysiology of sustained attention in early infancy: Investigating longitudinal relations with recognition memory outcomes” [Infant Behavior and Development 70 (2023) 101807]","authors":"Annie Brandes-Aitken,&nbsp;Maya Metser,&nbsp;Stephen H. Braren,&nbsp;Sarah C. Vogel,&nbsp;Natalie H. Brito","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102194","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 102194"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leveraging ubiquitous mobile sensors to track infant expressions and movements","authors":"Jesse K. Pazdera ,&nbsp;Sara Ripley ,&nbsp;Wei Fang ,&nbsp;Lauren K. Fink ,&nbsp;Louis A. Schmidt ,&nbsp;M.D. Rutherford ,&nbsp;Nikolaus F. Troje ,&nbsp;Laurel J. Trainor ,&nbsp;Naiqi G. Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Capturing the complexity of infant behavior in naturalistic contexts remains a primary challenge in developmental science. High-density sensing can address this, but its adoption has been limited by the need for specialized, expensive, and physically intrusive hardware. We developed <em>Expressions</em>, an iOS application and data processing pipeline that repurposes Apple’s TrueDepth camera system as a contactless, multimodal data collection tool. The application passively collects 60 Hz data on over 50 low-level features of facial expressions, 3D head movements for up to three interacting individuals, and eye gaze direction, while concurrently recording synchronized audio and video of the environment. We deployed <em>Expressions</em> in two developmental studies to test the feasibility and flexibility of this approach. In the first study, toddlers watched emotional videos on a computer that wirelessly streamed event markers to the recording device. This timestamping allowed us to time-lock and analyze the toddlers’ micro-expressive and emotional responses to positive versus negative stimuli. In the second study, two wirelessly networked iPads captured simultaneous data from caregiver–infant dyads during free-flowing play. This markerless, dual-device setup allowed assessment of complex interaction dynamics without disrupting the interaction itself. These studies show that consumer mobile devices are a feasible and flexible platform for studying infant behavior. Because the facial tracking in <em>Expressions</em> runs entirely on-device, the app does not require internet access during data collection. This privacy feature allows deployment not only in labs and urban homes but also in remote and rural communities that have been underrepresented in developmental research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 102201"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148036378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental mechanics shape segmental trunk control in moderate-to-late preterm infants: A longitudinal analysis examining predictions of the environmental-sensorimotor cascade","authors":"Noppharath Sangkarit ,&nbsp;Weerasak Tapanya ,&nbsp;Patchareeya Amput ,&nbsp;Puttipong Poncumhak","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102204","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102204","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Segmental trunk control is central to upright motor development in preterm infants, yet evidence linking specific home environment attributes to condition-specific control in late infancy remains limited. This study aims to examine the associations between characteristics of commercial baby containers—defined as restricting equipment or furniture such as playpens and cots—and segmental trunk control during the standing–walking window. Additionally, age-related usage patterns of these containers from 8 to 13 months corrected age were described. In a prospective longitudinal study of 76 moderate-to-late preterm infants, caregivers provided monthly reports on container usage, specifically categorizing attributes of size, rail height, and floor surface compliance. Segmental trunk control was assessed monthly using the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo) under static, active, and reactive conditions. Results indicated that trunk control improved with age across all conditions, although reactive control initially developed more slowly than static and active control before converging at full proficiency by 13 months. Larger container size was consistently linked to better trunk control across static, active, and reactive conditions. Floor surface compliance also played a significant role; soft floors were associated with better static and active control but did not influence reactive control. Conversely, the height of the container rails showed no independent relationship with trunk control performance. Usage patterns shifted over time toward larger spaces and firmer surfaces. These findings suggest that in late infancy, expanded physical space consistently supports segmental trunk control, while surface compliance specifically benefits steady-state and anticipatory control. The results support low-cost, home-based guidance that encourages expanding safe play areas and selecting appropriately compliant surfaces to foster motor development in preterm infants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 102204"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148145073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of parental emotional factors in toddler’s amount of screen use","authors":"Caroline Foutry ,&nbsp;Claire Hofer ,&nbsp;Jenny S. Radesky ,&nbsp;Oana A. David ,&nbsp;Marie Danet","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102178","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2026.102178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In today’s world, children have high exposure to near-ubiquitous digital media in their homes. However, early use has been linked with developmental and emotional delays. In this context, the aim of our research was to examine specific emotional parental factors (i.e. anxiety-depressive and stress symptoms and parental reactions to children’s negative emotions) that may be associated with the amount of screen time toddlers have during weekdays and weekends. A total of 100 parents of toddlers aged 12–36 months participated in the study, completing questionnaires. The findings revealed that parents’ anxiety-depressive and stress symptoms were linked to their toddlers’ digital media use, particularly on weekends. Additionally, parents' reactions to their children's negative emotions were most strongly associated with weekend television usage. Overall, regardless of the type of screen or time of use, higher exposure to TV or mobile devices was associated with the greater likelihood of parents using screens as a response to their children’s negative emotions and a reduced likelihood of encouraging emotional expression. Moreover, associations between parental anxiety-depressive and stress symptoms and toddler weekday and weekend screen time were mediated by using screens to help children regulate emotions. This research enhances our understanding of the factors that may influence toddlers’ screen exposure. Targeted interventions addressing these factors could be developed to prevent or mitigate early and extensive screen use in young children.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102178"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146020280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Better reflective functioning in mothers linked to longer joint attention with infants","authors":"Nursena Koç ,&nbsp;Hüseyin Ünlü ,&nbsp;Berna A. Uzundağ","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Joint attention is a foundational precursor to later developmental outcomes such as vocabulary, intelligence, and theory of mind. Previous research has shown that maternal sensitivity, depressive symptoms, and parent-child attachment security are associated with attention-sharing behaviors between mothers and their infants. The present study examined the relationship between mothers’ reflective functioning (the ability to recognize and interpret one’s own and one’s child’s mental states, as well as the behaviors motivated by those mental states) and joint attention. Data were collected from 72 infants aged 10–16 months and their mothers. Results indicated that mothers who reported greater difficulty in understanding and distinguishing between their own and their child's mental states (i.e., higher prementalization) tended to engage in joint attention episodes that were shorter and more frequent, and they were also more likely to terminate these interactions. In contrast, mothers expressing greater interest and curiosity about their infants’ mental states spent longer periods in joint attention, initiated these episodes less often, and were less inclined to terminate them. Additionally, mothers who felt more certain about their infants’ mental states were less likely to end joint attention episodes. After controlling for infant age and socioeconomic status, higher levels of interest and certainty continued to predict lower maternal termination, while prementalization was still linked to a higher number of joint attention episodes. These findings suggest that mothers’ perceptions of their infants’ mental states shape how they engage in shared attention during everyday play interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102166"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145624267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Caregiver-infant behaviours during multi-component object play are associated with infant visual working memory","authors":"Sobanawartiny Wijeakumar,&nbsp;Christina Davidson,&nbsp;Aimee Theyer","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through play interactions, caregivers play a significant role in shaping children’s early cognitive development. The over-arching objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether caregiver and infant behaviours in two types of play contexts that differed in the objects used, were associated with infant visual working memory. To address this, we collected video-recordings from 90 caregivers and 91 6-to-10-month-old infants while they engaged in a single object play (SO play) using single objects such as toy car, cup etc. and a multi-component object play (MO play) using organizational objects with multiple components such as stacking boxes, sorting towers etc. We coded caregiver intrusiveness, caregiver scaffolding, infant object engagement and infant distractibility during both contexts. Visual working memory was assessed at the same time in infants using a preferential looking task. Caregivers and infants showed more scaffolding and object engagement, respectively, during MO play compared to SO play. Further, caregiver intrusiveness, caregiver scaffolding and infant object engagement during SO play was positively associated with these respective behaviours during MO play. Finally, only behaviours during MO play were associated with infant visual working memory. Specifically, higher visual working memory was observed in infants who showed better object engagement and reduced distractibility and had caregivers who showed better scaffolding. These findings contribute to existing work on caregiver-infant dyadic interactions, by teasing apart differences in types of play contexts and examining the impacts on visual working memory in infants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102164"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145580371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Different patterns of association between maternal mental health and infant negative affect subdomains: Findings from the Germina cohort","authors":"Erick Medeiros ,&nbsp;Pedro Tótolo ,&nbsp;Pedro Zuccolo ,&nbsp;André Fujita ,&nbsp;Luisa Sugaya ,&nbsp;Tatiane Borja ,&nbsp;Helena Brentani ,&nbsp;Guilherme Vanoni Polanczyk ,&nbsp;Daniel Fatori","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102174","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102174","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Negative affect (NA) is a central dimension of infant temperament and an early marker of risk for later psychopathology. While maternal mental health has been associated with increased infant NA, few studies have explored how maternal mental health symptoms relate to the specific subdomains of NA throughout infancy. This study examined longitudinal associations between maternal mental health and infant NA, comparing the general domain with its specific subdomains. We analyzed data from 557 mother–infant dyads enrolled in the Germina cohort in São Paulo, Brazil. Maternal symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, along with infant NA and its subdomains—sadness, fear, distress to limitations, and falling reactivity—were assessed at 3, 5–9, and 10–16 months postpartum. Longitudinal associations were examined using linear mixed-effects models with successive-differences contrasts, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Maternal stress consistently predicted higher NA and its subdomains—sadness, fear, and distress—across infancy, and was linked to reduced falling reactivity. Depression was associated with increased NA, distress, and decreased reactivity throughout infancy. Anxiety exhibited a time-varying association with distress, increasing from 3 to 9 months before declining, but showed no link with overall NA. Subdomain-specific analyses uncovered maternal mental health associations not evident in general NA models. Examining NA subdomains provides a more detailed understanding of their evolving, dynamic relationships with maternal mental health across infancy. These insights highlight the importance of integrating NA subdomains into screening and intervention strategies to more effectively support at-risk children.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102174"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145795270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}