Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2026
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
BreAnne A. Danzi
Abstract
Infancy is a period of rapid development, while motherhood is often a time of heightened emotionality (Bjelica et al., 2018; Leclère et al., 2014). Synchrony between mother and infant is one of the earliest bonding experiences, with short- and long-term implications for the infant’s development and the mother-infant relationship (Leclère et al., 2014). However, little research has characterized developmental shifts in mother-infant synchrony. Maternal emotion dysregulation is likely to influence mother-infant synchrony (Doba et al., 2022; Lotzin et al., 2015, 2016). Yet little research has evaluated the impact of maternal emotion dysregulation on mother-infant synchrony over time. This project aims to 1) evaluate changes in mother-infant synchrony over time, 2) assess the relationship between maternal emotion dysregulation and mother-infant synchrony, and 3) evaluate the impact of maternal emotion dysregulation on mother-infant synchrony over time. Participants were 90 mother-infant dyads who had a vaginal delivery and were recruited within eight weeks of birth. Mothers reported on their functioning, and behavioral observation data were collected at two time points (four and six months after birth). Upper-body orientation, dyadic involvement, and overall synchrony increased from four to six months. Maternal emotion dysregulation at four months was not associated with any markers of synchrony at four months, nor did it predict any markers of synchrony over time (six months). These findings offer unique insights into early developmental changes in synchrony. This study also offers methodological considerations for future researchers seeking to better understand the impact of maternal emotion dysregulation on formative years of synchrony development.
Subject Categories
Clinical Psychology | Psychology
Keywords
development, emotion dysregulation, interactional sychrony, mother-infant dyads
Number of Pages
89
Recommended Citation
Kelly, Jessica Taylor, "INTERACTIONAL SYNCHRONY IN MOTHER-INFANT DYADS: DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES AND THE IMPACT OF MATERNAL EMOTION DYSREGULATION OVER TIME" (2026). Dissertations and Theses. 447.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/447