Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
07:56

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Published on: September 19, 2019

11.1K

Making children laugh: parent-child dyadic synchrony and preschool attachment

Jean-FrançOis Bureau1, Kim Yurkowski, Sabrina Schmiedel

  • 1University of Ottawa.

Infant Mental Health Journal
|March 24, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Dyadic synchrony in parent-child play is crucial for preschooler attachment security. Both mothers and fathers benefit from synchronized interactions, impacting children

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Attachment Theory
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Parent-child interactions are foundational to child development.
  • Attachment organization in early childhood influences social and emotional well-being.
  • Dyadic synchrony, a measure of interactional coordination, is increasingly recognized as vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between dyadic synchrony in parent-child play and attachment organization in preschoolers.
  • To compare mother-child and father-child dyadic synchrony during playful interactions.
  • To examine the role of synchrony in the development of secure and insecure attachment patterns.

Main Methods:

  • One hundred seven preschool children and their parents participated in a playful "Laughing Task" procedure.
  • Dyadic synchrony and task management were coded during parent-child interactions.
  • Children's attachment security was assessed using a modified separation-reunion procedure.

Main Results:

  • Mothers and fathers showed similar engagement efforts, but mothers exhibited greater synchrony with their children.
  • Disorganized attachment to either parent was associated with a lack of dyadic synchrony.
  • Findings suggest synchrony is equally important in mother-child and father-child relationships.

Conclusions:

  • Dyadic synchrony in playful interactions is a significant predictor of attachment organization in preschool children.
  • Despite potential gender differences in play styles, synchronized interaction is key for secure attachment bonds.
  • These findings challenge existing theories by highlighting the universal importance of synchrony across both maternal and paternal relationships.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Capturing Infant-Caregiver Interactions Through Synchronized Multimodal Data Collection08:08

Author Spotlight: Capturing Infant-Caregiver Interactions Through Synchronized Multimodal Data Collection

Published on: May 31, 2024

1.7K
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.6K

Related Concept Videos

Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
363
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
750
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships. 
50.3K
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...
265
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles01:28

Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles

Attachment theory, developed initially to explain infant–caregiver bonds, has been extended to illuminate patterns of intimacy in adult romantic relationships. Psychologists Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver proposed that the attachment styles observed in infancy form a framework for how individuals approach emotional closeness and conflict in adulthood. These attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious—are linked to enduring patterns of behavior and emotional regulation in...
910
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
1.4K