Longitudinal Examination of Father-Infant Interaction and Infant-Father Attachment

A longitudinal design was used to investigate the relationship between quality of father-infant interaction at 2 months & quality of infant-father attachment at 7.5 months for 19 father-infant dyads. Quality of interaction was assessed by rating each dyad according to: father's sensitivity, playfulness, & initiation of dyadic interaction; intensity of infant's response to father; extent of reciprocity in the interaction; & overall quality of interaction. Three behavioral measures of interaction were face-to-face looking, touching, & vocalization. Quality of attachment involved infant's proximity-seeking, contact-maintaining, resisting, & avoidance behavior during a reunion episode with the father. Results suggest that quality of father-infant interaction is a developmental precursor of quality of infant-father attachment. The current social & scientific importance of understanding developing father-infant social processes is discussed. 5 Tables. Modified AA.