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The Temporal Relation between Regression and Transition Periods in Early Infancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Marta Sadurní ,
Marc Pérez Burriel  and
Frans X. Plooij
Marta Sadurní*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Girona (Spain)
Marc Pérez Burriel
Affiliation:
Universidad de Girona (Spain)
Frans X. Plooij
Affiliation:
International Research Institute on Infant Studies (Netherlands)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Marta Sadurní. Departmento de Psicología. Facultad de Educación y Psicología. Universidad de Girona. Plaça San Domènec, n°3. 17007 Girona. (Spain). E-mail: marta.sadurni@udg.es
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Abstract

According to the literature about developmental changes, periods of instability and disorganization in the social and emotional behavior in both human and non-human primate, infancy precedes major developmental achievements or transitions (Heimann, 2003; Sparrow & Brazelton, 2006). Developmental investigators have observed a more frequent and prolonged crying, clinging and bids for physical contact with mother during these periods of instability and disorganization. Some authors, according to Horwich (1974), called these periods regression periods. Rijt-Plooij and Plooij (1992) claimed that 10 regression periods could be identified during the first 20 months of human life. In an early study, Sadurní and Rostan (2002) confirmed the presence of 8 such regression periods during the first year of life of 18 Catalan babies. Their 8 regression periods were comparable to the first 8 of the 10 regression periods found by Van de Rijt Plooij and Plooij. The aim of the present study is to see whether the regression periods that we found are temporally related to some transition. We define a transition as the occurrence of a new developmental change in a child. In the present study we have used non-analyzed data from the same 18 Catalan babies (10 boys and 8 girls) as mentioned in our earlier published study on regression periods. The age of these babies was between 3 weeks and 14 months. Using a microgenetic methodology we have found 8 transitions periods in the first year of life. We have also observed a temporal relation between the regressions periods found earlier and the transition periods reported here.

La literatura científica acerca de los cambios en el desarrollo, sostiene que existen períodos de desorganización e inestabilidad en el comportamiento emocional y social de las crías de primate tanto humanas como no humanas que preceden a los cambios evolutivos o transiciones (Heimann, 2003; Sparrow & Brazelton, 2006). Las investigaciones revelan un llanto más prolongado y un aumento de la necesidad de aferramiento y contacto físico con la madre durante estos períodos de inestabilidad. Algunos autores, siguiendo a Horwich (1974) han denominado a esos períodos, periodos de regresión. Van de Rijt-Plooij & Plooij (1992) afirman que 10 períodos de regresión pueden ser identificados durante los primeros 20 meses de vida humana. En un estudio anterior, Sadurní and Rostan (2002) confirmaron la presencia de 8 de estos períodos durante el primer año de vida en 18 bebés pertenecientes a la Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña, que coincidieron con los 8 primeros encontrados por Van de Rijt Plooij and Plooij. El objetivo del presente estudio es comprobar si estos períodos de regresión hallados están temporalmente relacionados con alguna transición. Definimos una transición como la emergencia de un nuevo cambio en el desarrollo de un niño/a. En el presente estudio hemos utilizado datos no analizados de los mismos 18 bebés (10 niños y 8 niñas) que formaron parte del estudio anterior. Los bebés tenían entre 3 semanas y 14 meses. Utilizando un análisis microgenético hemos hallado 8 períodos de transición en el primer año de vida. Asimismo hemos observado una relación temporal entre los períodos de regresión hallados previamente y los períodos de transición presentados en este estudio.

Keywords

regression periodstransitions periodsmother-infant interactioninfant developmentperíodos de regresiónperíodos de transicióninteracción madre-niñodesarrollo infantil
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , May 2010 , pp. 112 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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