Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Wilcox, Teresa

Abstract

Infants communicate with their caregivers in a variety of ways – even before the onset of verbal language. One of the strategies infants employ is the use of deictic gestures (i.e., index points, showing, giving) to engage in communication about external referents with their partners. Previous associations have been identified that reveal relationships between infant deictic gesturing behaviors and maternal gesturing, however the number of studies that assess maternal interactive qualities simultaneously with these gesturing behaviors is minimal. In the current study, manual data annotation was employed to explore the relationships between infant deictic gesturing frequencies, maternal deictic gesturing frequencies, global maternal behaviors (sensitivity and intrusiveness) and dyadic characteristics. Infants between the ages of 12-months and 24-months (N = 61) and their mothers participated in free-play recorded via online videoconferencing. Frequencies of initiative deictic gestures were calculated. Dyads were classified as having a “pointer” or “non-pointer” infant and mother, respectively. Several significant associations were identified, including a negative association between maternal sensitivity and maternal giving (p = .009) and a positive association between maternal sensitivity and infant index finger pointing (p = .030).

Extent

112 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Dissertation (PhD)--Florida Atlantic University, 2024.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00014509

Format

pdf

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