Abstract
The Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) is a widely-used assessment of infant reactions to an age-appropriate stressor, which have been associated with later attachment security. In the still-face (SF) episode of the FFSF, the parent is asked to become unresponsive, thereby interrupting interaction with the infant. It is thought that parent-infant interaction ceases during the SF, but there has been little empirical investigation of this premise. Additionally, no research has examined associations between possible dyadic interaction during the SF and later outcomes. Parent-infant dyads (N = 73) completed the FFSF at 6 months, and their continuous affective valence was separately coded from video. Sixty-nine dyads returned at 15 months to complete the Strange Situation Procedure. Significant mean correlations between parent and infant affective valence (M = .17, SD = .24) indicated that dyadic interaction was present during the SF. Future disorganized infants showed higher levels of dyadic interaction during the SF at 6 months than future secure infants. Level of interaction in the SF should be assessed in future FFSF research to better understand potential associations with individual differences and developmental outcomes.