Condon & Sander (1974)

Question 1

What was the aim?

Answer 1

To investigate interactional synchrony in newborns and their parents.

Question 2

What was the procedure?

Answer 2

• Videos of parents talking to their newborns were analysed frame by frame.
• The behaviour of the newborn was noted.

Question 3

What were the results?

Answer 3

• Even newborns co-ordinate their movements and gestures in time with human speech.
• There was an element of turn taking and the babies seemed to responds to the one-sided conversation.

Question 4

What was concluded?

Answer 4

Interactional synchrony starts at an early age.

Question 5

What are the strengths?

Answer 5

• The parents and babies being in their own environment means there is strong ecological validity.
• There are no ethical issues.

Question 6

What is a weakness?

Answer 6

• The behaviour of the newborns is open to interpretation.
• A smile may be the newborn passing wind.