How child and parent interact is the topic for this research. In particular, the social referencing process is at focus. In such a process the child utilizes information in the emotional expressions of another person to aid her or his appraisal of an uncertainty inducing situation and, to regulate his or her subsequent behaviour. How this behaviour reflects the infant’s emerging cognitive capabilities is of interest.

We have examined this phenomenon experimentally and in more naturalistic studies. The relation between individual variations in infant referencing and early infant and caregiver characteristics (infant temperament and parental sensitivity) have received special interest. We are interested in examining the predictive value of infant social referencing. On a longitudinal basis, from infancy to childhood, developmental changes as well as stability in social referencing behaviours are investigated.

At present, social referencing in children with visual impairments, and social referencing in children who are visually impaired and have additional disabilities are at focus.