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Dyadic and triadic skills in preterm and full term infants: a longitudinal study in the first year

Leentje De Schuymer1, Isabel De Groote, Tricia Striano

  • 1Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium. Leentje.DeSchuymer@UGent.be

Infant Behavior & Development
|December 28, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants show differences in dyadic and triadic interaction skills compared to full-term infants. Early dyadic skills in preterm infants predict later triadic competencies.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Infant Studies
  • Neonatal Research

Background:

  • Early social-emotional development is crucial for infant development.
  • Preterm infants may experience altered developmental trajectories.
  • Understanding dyadic and triadic interactions provides insight into social cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare dyadic and triadic interaction skills in preterm and full-term infants.
  • To examine developmental changes in these skills from 3 to 9 months of age.
  • To explore the relationship between early dyadic and later triadic competencies.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study design.
  • Inclusion of 26 preterm and 31 full-term infants.
  • Assessment of dyadic (still-face paradigm) and triadic (gaze-following) interactions at 3, 6, and 9 months.

Main Results:

  • Both groups detected non-contingency in interactions.
  • Significant group and developmental differences were observed.
  • Preterm infants showed fewer positive elicits during still-face at 6 months and less gaze-following at 9 months.
  • Six-month dyadic skills correlated with 9-month triadic competencies in both groups.

Conclusions:

  • Preterm infants exhibit distinct patterns in early social interaction skills.
  • Developmental timing of social competencies differs between preterm and full-term infants.
  • Early social interaction skills are interconnected and predictive of later development.

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