Poster #63 - Caregiver and Infant Reactions to Falls with Objects in a Free-Play Setting

• In Event: Poster Session 03

Abstract

While infants experience many new benefits at the onset of walking, such as traveling farther distances (Adolph & Tamis-LeMonda, 2014), they also experience new challenges, such as increased risk of falling (Han & Adolph, 2021). Minor everyday falls are a natural part of the learning process and typically do not result in injury nor deter infants from moving (Adolph et al., 2012; Han & Adolph, 2021). However, when infants carry objects and experience a loss of balance, it is potentially more difficult to mitigate the fall because these objects can interfere with their balance recovery strategies (Arnold & Claxton, 2017), which could increase the risk of injury. It remains unclear if infants and caregivers perceive falls while holding objects as more challenging/difficult to recover from. To examine this gap, we assessed whether infants and caregivers express more concern when infants fall while carrying a toy versus not carrying a toy.

Thirty-nine 13-month-old infant-caregiver pairs (24 girls, Mage = 3 mos; 3 wks, Range = 13,0 - 13,4) participated in a 20-minute laboratory free-play session. Using Datayvu, coders identified instances of falls (loss of balance resulting in some part of the body coming in contact with the ground), if infants were carrying a toy when the fall occurred, caregiver reaction to the fall with a show of concern (moved toward, picked up, soothed/comforted, asked if infant was alright, or made some sort of sound), and infant reaction to the fall (negative vocalizations/facial expressions or crying). Reaction codes were adapted from Han & Adolph (2021).

Thirty-six infants experienced a fall (N=256 total falls; range: 1–22 per infant; M = 7.11, SD= 4.58). 55% of falls occurred while carrying a toy (N=142) whereas 45% of falls were without a toy (N=114). Approximately one-third of the infants (N=10, 23 falls) expressed at least one reaction after a fall. However, there was no difference between the frequency of infant reactions when carrying a toy (52%) and not carrying a toy (48%). 75% of the caregivers (N=27, 68 falls) expressed at least one reaction after a fall. Of these 68 falls, the frequency of falls when carrying a toy and not carrying a toy was similar (Toy=51%; No Toy=49%). Further, parental reactions to falls were similar between the two conditions; 55% caregivers (N=15) were more likely to have a reaction if the infant was carrying a toy and 41% (N=11) were more likely to have a reaction if the infant was not carrying a toy (one caregiver reacted equally). Interestingly though, caregiver-infant pairs were predominately in-synch when reacting to falls. 70% of the time (N=183 falls), infants and caregivers matched in their reactions to falls (either both not responding or both responding). These in-synch responses occurred more often when a toy was involved (Toy:55%, 101 falls; No Toy:45%; 82 falls).

Surprisingly, neither caregivers nor infants appeared to view falling with a toy as a more negative event. These findings provide additional insight into how infants and caregivers respond to infant falls in unstructured free-play settings.

Authors

• Paige Thompson, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Presenting Author

• Emily Shalit, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Alyssa DeJoan

• Frances Kornelik, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Olivia Nicholson, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Reagan Frame, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Amanda J Arnold, Denison University

• Laura Jamie Claxton, Purdue University, West Lafayette