Oxytocin shapes parental motion during father–infant interaction |
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Authors: | Omri Weisman Emilie Delaherche Margot Rondeau Mohamed Chetouani David Cohen Ruth Feldman |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Sciences Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel;2.Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotiques, CNRS, UMR 7222, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris, Cedex, France;3.Département de Psychiatrie de l''Enfant et de l''Adolescent, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47-83, Boulevard de l''Hôpital, 75651 Paris, Cedex 13, France |
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Abstract: | An infant-oriented parental repertoire contributes to an infant''s development and well-being. The role of oxytocin (OT) in promoting affiliative bonds and parenting has been established in numerous animal and human studies. Recently, acute administration of OT to a parent was found to enhance the carer''s, but at the same time also the infant''s, physiological and behavioural readiness for dyadic social engagement. Yet, the exact cues that are involved in this affiliative transmission process remain unclear. The existing literature suggests that motion and vocalization are key social signals for the offspring that facilitates social participation, and that distance and motion perception are modulated by OT in humans. Here, we employed a computational method on video vignettes of human parent–infant interaction including 32 fathers that were administered OT or a placebo in a crossover experimental design. Results indicate that OT modulates parental proximity to the infant, as well as the father''s head speed and head acceleration but not the father''s vocalization during dyadic interaction. Similarly, the infant''s OT reactivity is positively correlated with father''s head acceleration. The current findings are the first to report a relationship between the OT system and parental motion characteristics, further suggesting that the cross-generation transmission of parenting in humans might be underlaid by nuanced, infant-oriented, gestures relating to the carer''s proximity, speed and acceleration within the dyadic context. |
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Keywords: | oxytocin parenting social signal processing motionese motherese |
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