Contributos para a auto-regulação do bebé no Paradigma Face-to-Face Still-Face

Abstract

Shortly after birth, newborns exhibit instinctive behaviors of self-regulation allow them to control their motor responses, isolating himself from disturbing stimuli, deal with overwhelm events and starting or ending interactions with their parents. These behaviors get refine and become more complex during the first year of life. At 3 months, these behaviors are organized into behavioral styles and have a moderate impact on mother-infant attachment status. In order to better study infant self-regulation and maternal contributions, 98 infants (46 girls, 51 firstborn, IG over than 36 weeks) and their mothers were observed in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm at 3 and 9 months. Infant styles and patterns of self-regulation were observed as well as maternal interactive behavior. The findings indicate individual differences in infants’ self-regulation described in 3 patterns of selfregulation. These forms of self-regulation have a high association with maternal responses, infant gender and parity. Our findings support the thesis that infant self-regulation results of infant ability to organize their internal resources together with maternal ability to support infant regulatory behavior.