INFANTS GAZE TRANSFORMATION AND ITS RELATION TO THE POSTURAL DEVELOPMENT

• Grant number: 10/09955-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2010
• End date: September 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Katia de Souza Amorim
• Grantee: Natália Meireles Santos da Costa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Studying the baby is a way to learn about how we are constituted. There is, however, a lack of studies that focus on the baby itself, such appearing indirectly by focusing on others (family, health professionals, etc.). This indicates the need for studies which examine infants seeking their particular developmental processes. One approach involves the analysis of his/her actions and responsiveness regarding to the environment, in whcih are identified forms of non-verbal communication, embbedded with meanings and expressions, among which stands out the gaze. The gaze appears as an important tool in interactions, supporting dialogical relationships with others. The postural aspect is pointed out as influential in the development of the babys gaze, which would imply changes in perception and participation of the environment. Thus, this study will investigate how the transformation process of the gaze in the baby relates to different moments of their development posture. Two case studies will be followed longitudinally, with two babies from their four or five months of age. One will be studied at home and another in a daycare center. The goal is to understand the complexity which includes the gaze of the baby and its relationships to the developmental process, within contexts with specific organizational characteristics and relation. The records of the baby in daycare will be obtained from the image bank of the project Infnts Adaptation Processes to a Daycare Center, which studied 21 babies through their attendance in a university center. The record of the baby at home will be obtained from Image Database Project Processes of (Trans) formation of Language and Communication, through out the First Year of Life: A Case Study. Data collection and analysis will be conducted primarily based on the "Network of Meanings" perspective. Some episodes are going to be selected and will go through a microgenetic transcription and later a microgenetic analysis will be conducted, seeking to track changes over time. This study is part of a research project financed by FAPESP, currently composed of eight projects carried out by master's and Scientific Initiation students, which are investigating in diverse developmental aspects of infants communicative and relational processes.