Performing two or more activities at the same time is an integral part of our daily lives today and often necessary if we want to fulfil all the demands of family, work, or other areas. In some situations, multitasking can be stressful for us, while in others it makes the completion of routine tasks more pleasant.
To date, little is known about how the dynamics of a mother-child interaction change when the mother is engaged in another activity at the same time. Therefore, this study explores the interactions of mothers and their 6-month-old babies while playing together. We are particularly interested in how an additional task performed by the mother during the interaction with her baby affects the psychological and physical state of both mother and baby, and how both adapt their behaviour to the demands of this situation.
Furthermore, the development of participating children is examined at the age of 12 months as well as 20 months, particularly with regard to social skills. Thus, we explore how the infants behave in interaction with their mothers as well as with another adult. Currently, the collected data are analyzed in detail.
Original language: German