Reciprocity in a Securely Attached Mother-Infant Dyad

Abstract

This article describes the interactions between a highly attuned, sensitive mother, who had the capacity to achieve primary maternal preoccupation, and her infant during his first four months of life. The evolving secure attachment patterns discerned from weekly observations in a naturalistic setting correspond with Beatrice Beebe’s findings using microanalysis of mother-infant face-to-face interactions to predict the nature of the four-month infant’s emerging internal working model of attachment. Using a series of vignettes, the author illustrates how this mother-infant dyad were adept at coordinating their attention, affective responses, vocal rhythms, and touch in ways that seemed to promote feelings of mutual recognition and enjoyment for them both. The mother’s capacity for reflective functioning enabled her to imagine what her baby was feeling and to consistently comfort him, contributing to the formation of their secure mother-infant bond.

Notes

1. ¹The very act of taking care of one’s baby, breastfeeding, and having skin-to-skin contact has been shown to increase the oxytocin levels of both mother and baby. Furthermore, mothers with higher oxytocin levels have been shown to be more affectionate with their babies, more likely to coo to their babies by speaking “motherese,” and more apt to respond positively to their baby’s mood changes with loving touches and happy facial expressions than mother’s with lower oxytocin levels (Paley, 2012).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jayne Bloch

Jayne Bloch is a licensed psychoanalyst in private practice and a supervisor and training analyst at NPAP, where she currently serves on the Training Committee. She has held various Board positions at NPAP and is a fellow of the Anni Bergman Parent Infant Training Program.