Disconnection and the Still Face Paradigm

How crucial the first year is to a child's future development is emerging here at the University of Dundee, so what we're going to do is get you to interact with Frazer just as you normally would with him sitting here and smiling and talking and those things. so dr. Suzanne Z Dyke has spent the last six years trying to understand what babies need for healthy development. The latest research shows that the quality of the interaction between a child and his or her caregiver is crucial, especially during the first year in which we have this conversation. babies looking at mommy's

face

I look it's very strong smiling very intense kind of look here it's okay so we have a conversation hey he says well what I'm getting from the baby with this type of interaction is that he's learning that, um that what you're doing has an impact on what other people are doing, so when you look at mom, mom looks back, that's the kind of thing that, although it seems very, very subtle, it doesn't seem like a big deal, it's this kind of thing. of things that are crucial for interaction at this age to show how a child's sense of well-being depends on the quality of interaction dr.

Z Dyke has asked this mother to stop responding to her baby. The child's reaction demonstrates what happens if they do not receive this type of stimulation, so here the mother's

face

is

still

, she is not responding to what the baby is doing and you might start to see the discomfort and maybe see how He looks away now he looks very withdrawn and I thought he checked with mom again she doesn't smile he tries he even tries the smile she doesn't respond the smile goes away the baby is looking down he's not even trying to interact this goes on and on and it continues long term, you will get a withdrawn child who doesn't understand that other people will interact with him and doesn't understand that other people will interact with you. you don't have a healthy person