Tanya MacGillivray Broesch, MA
Contingency and Affective Mirroring in Fijian and Canadian mother-infant dyads
Tanya MacGillivray Broesch1, James Broesch2, Joseph Henrich3, Ann Bigelow4, Philippe Rochat1
Department of Psychology, Emory University1; Department of Anthropology, Emory University2, Department of Psychology and Economics, University of British Colombia3,Department of Psychology, Saint Francis Xavier University4
Background and Aims: Previous studies assumed that maternal affect mirroring and contingent responding of the mother to her infant are prevalent determinants of social emotional development in infancy (Bigelow, 2003; Gergely and Watson, 1996). However, this is based on the observations of Western, typically urban mother-infant dyads, despite ethnographic reports and observational studies across diverse cultural settings indicating variation both in the modalities of maternal expression, and the maternal beliefs about infant cognition (Bornstein et al., 2002). We examined the validity of such assertions in the context of a small-scale, rural Melanesian society in the Fiji Islands. We assessed the magnitude and modality of contingent responses and affect mirroring by the maternal caregiver during face-to-face episodes with their infants (aged between 6 and 12 months). The Fijian dyads were compared to age-matched Canadian dyads. 
Methods: We videotaped 15 mother-infant dyads during 3 minute episodes of interaction on Totoya Island, Fiji and compared this to 15 dyads in Canada. Contingency was captured by the timing of the mothers’ response (within 1 second) and affect mirroring was captured by the mothers’ facial and vocal exaggerated imitation of the infant’s emotional expression. In addition we administered a survey on maternal attitudes and beliefs regarding infant cognition to 24 Fijian mothers and compared that with findings by Bornstein and co-authors, 2002.
Results: Video analysis indicates significant differences in the Fijian and Canadian mothers’ responses. The amount of contingent responses were comparable in both groups, however, the modality differed as a function of culture with Canadians responding with more facial displays and Fijians responding with more tactile responses. We examined the magnitude and duration of vocal responses and found markedly more exaggeration of affect vocal responses by Canadian mothers compared to Fijian mothers. We found no evidence for facial and vocal affect mirroring in the Fijian mothers however we did find evidence for a more generalized imitation of affect as indicated by measures of tactile responses.
Conclusion: The Social Biofeedback theory of parental affect mirroring proposed by Gergely and Watson (1996) needs to be revised in the context of other, non Western cultures. An extension of the Contingency theory put forth by Bigelow is proposed to encompass other modalities including touch, postural placing, support, and holding of the infant. It appears that early face-to-face exchanges as a paradigm for the study of early social and emotional development, is highly dependent on culture.