Capturing touch in parent–infant interaction: A comparison of methods

Author(s)
Alicja Brzozowska, Matthew R. Longo, Denis Mareschal, Frank Wiesemann, Teodora Gliga
Abstract

Naturally occurring high levels of caregiver touch promote offspring development in many animal species. Yet, caregiver touch remains a relatively understudied topic in human development, possibly due to challenges of measuring this means of interaction. While parental reports (e.g., questionnaires, diaries) are easy to collect, they may be subject to biases and memory limitations. In contrast, observing touch in a short session of parent-child interaction in the lab may not be representative of touch interaction in daily life. In the present study, we compared parent reports (one-off questionnaires and diary) and observation-based methods in a sample of German 6- to 13-month-olds and their primary caregivers (n = 71). In an attempt to characterize touching behaviors across a broad range of contexts, we measured touch both during play and while the parent was engaged in another activity. We found that context affected both the quantity and types of touch used in interaction. Parent-reported touch was moderately associated with touch observed in parent-child interactions and more strongly with touch used during play. We conclude that brief one-off questionnaires are a good indicator of touch in parent-child interaction, yet they may be biased toward representing particular daily activities and particular types of touch.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
University College London, The Procter and Gamble Company, University of East Anglia, University of London
Journal
Infancy
Volume
26
Pages
494-514
No. of pages
21
ISSN
1525-0008
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12394
Publication date
03-2021
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
501005 Developmental psychology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Developmental and Educational Psychology, Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/capturing-touch-in-parentinfant-interaction-a-comparison-of-methods(4be2c7cc-1bfb-4a50-a259-beb0c0dba0a4).html