Illustration of bootstrapping in the FFSF

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Illustration of bootstrapping in the FFSF

• Daniel Messinger, Marygrace Yale Kaiser, Alan
  Cobo-Lewis, Peter Mundy
• Supported by NICHD 38336 41619 The Positive
  Psychology Foundation

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Events as unit of analysis
Overlapping behaviors create an expressive signal
dependent on how they are patterned in time
Beyond duration of co-occurrence
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Generic Observed Patterns

• A BEFORE B. E.g., Smile before Gaze
• A smile which begins before and ends within a
  gaze at parents face.
• A IN B. E.g., Smile in Gaze
• A smile which begins and ends within a gaze at
  parents face.
• B BEFORE A. E.g., Gaze before Smile
• A gaze at parent which begins before and ends
  within a smile.
• B IN A. E.g., Gaze in Smile
• A gaze at parents face which begins and ends
  within a smile.

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Simulation Procedure
Take Observed Pattern
Expressions
Smile in Gaze
Gazes
Separate into Observed Behaviors
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Use observed behaviors to create simulated
sequences
Observed Behaviors
Gazes Away
Gazes at Mom
No Smiles
Smiles
To Create Simulated Pattern
Smile
Gaze
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Simulation indicates patterns not due to chance
Observed Pattern
Smile in Gaze!
Gaze
Repeat 2000 times.
Z (Observed Simulated)/SDS
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Study 1 Early infant communication

• Facial expressions (smiles frowns)
• Vocalizations (non-reflexive vocalizations)
• Gaze direction (gazing at parents face other)
• 40 infants at 3- 6-months of age in modified
  face-to-face/still-face

• Yale, Messinger, Cobo-Lewis, et al. (1999 in
  press, Developmental Psychology)
• 12 40 infants at 3- 6-months of age in
  modified face-to-face/still-face

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Facial expression vocalization
Facial Expression

• Facial expressions encompass vocalizations in a
  pattern that does not change with age or
  expression - replicated

Vocalization
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Facial expressions and gaze

• Facial expressions especially smiles - begin
  during gazes at parents face
• Stronger with age smile

Facial Expression
Gaze
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Vocalization Gaze

• Vocalizations and gazes at parent were not
  coordinated in time

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Centrality of facial expressions

• Facial expressions - both smiles and frowns -
  begin during gazes at parents face
• Facial expressions encompass vocalizations
• Vocalizations and gazes at parent were not
  coordinated in time

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Dynamic formation of patterns

• Communicative package is not pre-formed, but
  emerges through two links
• Gaze at parents face sets the stage
• for a facial expression
• into which a vocalization is likely to be inserted

Communicative signal dynamically assembles in
real-time
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Development of timing?Smile in gaze ? Smile
after gaze