| Description |
According to a continuous process model, dyadic communication is conceptualized as relational and systemic, in which "both partners are continuously active and continuously engaged in the communication" (Fogel, 1993, p. 27). This dyadic communication is viewed as being co-regulated, or defined, shaped and engaged in by both members of the dyad. Fogel and Lyra (in press) have proposed that frames (stable patterns of co-action) are the appropriate unit of analysis to examine co-regulated communication processes. By using a narrative case study approach, this project explores the dynamics of two mother-infant dyads' communication while engaging in social play with toy telephones. The transitional processes of mother-infant play interaction were investigated by employing a frame analysis. The goals of the data analysis are (1) to identify the stable patterns of behavior (frames) of the dyad's communication and (2) to understand both the developmental and real time transitions within mother-infant telephone games. There are three primary findings to report: namely that the dyads engage in their games in different as well as similar styles, and that they infrequently transition directly from physical to pretend-type play. This study has reinforced the idea that infants are an important contributors to mother-infant play, and that they co-regulate changes in play frames, just as mothers do. |
