Daniel Messinger
University of Miami, Psychology, Faculty Member
OBJECTIVE: The recurrence risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is estimated to be between 3% and 10%, but previous research was limited by small sample sizes and biases related to ascertainment, reporting, and stoppage factors. This... more
OBJECTIVE: The recurrence risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is estimated to be between 3% and 10%, but previous research was limited by small sample sizes and biases related to ascertainment, reporting, and stoppage factors. This study used prospective methods to obtain an updated estimate of sibling recurrence risk for ASD. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study of infants at risk for ASD was conducted by a multisite international network, the Baby Siblings Research Consortium.
Abstract This paper presents a framework to automatically measure the intensity of naturally occurring facial actions. Naturalistic expressions are non-posed spontaneous actions. The facial action coding system (FACS) is the gold standard... more
Abstract This paper presents a framework to automatically measure the intensity of naturally occurring facial actions. Naturalistic expressions are non-posed spontaneous actions. The facial action coding system (FACS) is the gold standard technique for describing facial expressions, which are parsed as comprehensive, nonoverlapping action units (Aus). AUs have intensities ranging from absent to maximal on a six-point metric (ie, 0 to 5).
The face-to-face interactions of infants and their parents are a model system in which critical communicative abilities emerge. We apply machine learning methods to explore the predictability of infant and mother behavior during... more
The face-to-face interactions of infants and their parents are a model system in which critical communicative abilities emerge. We apply machine learning methods to explore the predictability of infant and mother behavior during interaction with an eye to understanding the preconditions of infant intentionality. Overall, developmental changes were most evident when the probability of specific behaviors was examined in specific interactive contexts.
Abstract Early infant emotional development concerns the interactive emergence of emotional states that motivate approach and withdrawal. These are indexed by different patterns of infant facial expressions, vocalization, and gazing that... more
Abstract Early infant emotional development concerns the interactive emergence of emotional states that motivate approach and withdrawal. These are indexed by different patterns of infant facial expressions, vocalization, and gazing that emerge within parent-infant interactions in the first 10 months of life. Specifically, the interface of a limited number of interactive parameters creates complex real-time patterns which change over developmental time.
Abstract When predicting child developmental outcomes, reliance on children's scores on measures of developmental functioning alone might mask more subtle behavioral difficulties, especially in children with developmental risk factors.... more
Abstract When predicting child developmental outcomes, reliance on children's scores on measures of developmental functioning alone might mask more subtle behavioral difficulties, especially in children with developmental risk factors. The current study examined predictors and stability of examiner behavior ratings and their association with concurrent and subsequent mental and motor performance in toddlers born at extremely low birth weight.
Objective: To evaluate feeding difficulties and maternal behaviour during a feeding session with 1 month old infants prenatally exposed to cocaine and/or opiates. Methods: The study is part of the maternal lifestyle study, which recruited... more
Objective: To evaluate feeding difficulties and maternal behaviour during a feeding session with 1 month old infants prenatally exposed to cocaine and/or opiates. Methods: The study is part of the maternal lifestyle study, which recruited 11 811 subjects at four urban hospitals, then followed 1388 from 1 to 36 months of age. Exposure to cocaine and opiates was determined by maternal interview and meconium assay. At the 1 month clinic visit, biological mothers were videotaped while bottle feeding their infants.
Automated facial measurement using computer vision has the potential to objectively document continuous changes in behavior. To examine emotional expression and communication, we used automated measurements to quantify smile strength, eye... more
Automated facial measurement using computer vision has the potential to objectively document continuous changes in behavior. To examine emotional expression and communication, we used automated measurements to quantify smile strength, eye constriction, and mouth opening in two 6-month-old infant–mother dyads who each engaged in a face-to-face interaction.
Abstract Unstructured mother–toddler interactions were examined in 18-month-old high-and low-risk children subsequently diagnosed (n= 12) or not diagnosed (n= 21) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at 36 months. Differences in maternal... more
Abstract Unstructured mother–toddler interactions were examined in 18-month-old high-and low-risk children subsequently diagnosed (n= 12) or not diagnosed (n= 21) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at 36 months. Differences in maternal sensitivity were not found as a function of emergent ASD status. A differential-susceptibility moderation model of child risk guided investigations linking maternal sensitivity to child behavior and language growth.
This study compared the play interactions of 18-month-old cocaine-exposed toddlers and their mothers (n= 48) to non-cocaine-exposed comparison toddlers and their mothers (n= 77). Coders blind to drug-exposure status reliably coded the... more
This study compared the play interactions of 18-month-old cocaine-exposed toddlers and their mothers (n= 48) to non-cocaine-exposed comparison toddlers and their mothers (n= 77). Coders blind to drug-exposure status reliably coded the interactions for maternal directiveness, positivity, and sensitivity; child social initiative and positivity; and dyadic responsiveness.
Abstract 1. We examined dynamic infant–parent affect coupling using the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF). The sample included 20 infants whose older siblings had been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD-sibs) and 18 infants with... more
Abstract 1. We examined dynamic infant–parent affect coupling using the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF). The sample included 20 infants whose older siblings had been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD-sibs) and 18 infants with comparison siblings (COMP-sibs). A series of mixed effects bivariate autoregressive models was used to represent the self-regulation and interactive dynamics of infants and parents during the FFSF.
Abstract This study investigated a novel approach to obtaining data on parent and infant emotion during the Face-to-Face/Still-Face paradigm, and examined these data in light of previous findings regarding early autism risk. One-hundred... more
Abstract This study investigated a novel approach to obtaining data on parent and infant emotion during the Face-to-Face/Still-Face paradigm, and examined these data in light of previous findings regarding early autism risk. One-hundred and eighty eight non-expert students rated 38 parents and infant siblings of children who did (20) or did not (18) have autism spectrum disorders.
This is a study of differences in physical contact and tactile interpersonal behaviours between Hispanic and Anglo mothers and infants living in the United States. Infants were 9 months old and 52 mother-infant dyads, 26 Hispanic and 26... more
This is a study of differences in physical contact and tactile interpersonal behaviours between Hispanic and Anglo mothers and infants living in the United States. Infants were 9 months old and 52 mother-infant dyads, 26 Hispanic and 26 Anglo, were videotaped during free play without toys in a university laboratory playroom.
Sensorimotor systems generate movements that are compliant and non-repeatable, yet remarkably well-adapted to an unstructured, uncertain and non-stationary world. By contrast, robotics has for the most part focused on simplifying the... more
Sensorimotor systems generate movements that are compliant and non-repeatable, yet remarkably well-adapted to an unstructured, uncertain and non-stationary world. By contrast, robotics has for the most part focused on simplifying the control problem by using stiff, highly geared actuators, emphasizing repeatability over compliance, and avoiding unstructured conditions. This approach worked well for industrial applications and has revolutionized the assembly line.
Abstract Intensity measurements of infant facial expressions are central to understand emotion-mediated interactions and emotional development. We evaluate alternative image representations for automatic measurement of the intensity of... more
Abstract Intensity measurements of infant facial expressions are central to understand emotion-mediated interactions and emotional development. We evaluate alternative image representations for automatic measurement of the intensity of spontaneous facial Action Units (AUs) related to infant emotion expression. Twelve infants were video-recorded during face-to-face interactions with their mothers. Facial features were tracked using active appearance models (AAMs) and registered to a canonical view.
Abstract This study investigated two hypotheses:(a) Japanese mother-toddler dyads will work together more interdependently than American mother-toddler dyads;(b) American toddlers will act more autonomously than Japanese toddlers. The... more
Abstract This study investigated two hypotheses:(a) Japanese mother-toddler dyads will work together more interdependently than American mother-toddler dyads;(b) American toddlers will act more autonomously than Japanese toddlers. The hypotheses were investigated using videotapes of 10-minute shape-fitting interactions of 12 Caucasian American and 12 Japanese national mothers visiting the United States and their 24-to 31-month-olds (matched by mean age, gender and birth order).
Abstract 1. Observational methods benefit the study of family process, but many expert rating systems are costly and time-consuming. This study examined the utility of using small groups of eight to ten nonexperts to rate family conflict... more
Abstract 1. Observational methods benefit the study of family process, but many expert rating systems are costly and time-consuming. This study examined the utility of using small groups of eight to ten nonexperts to rate family conflict and maternal sensitivity. Videotaped triadic interactions of 39 families were drawn from Lindahl (1998), and 22 mother–toddler free-play interactions were drawn from Baker, Messinger, Lyons, and Grantz (2010).
The evidence presented in this chapter suggests that infant communicative action is highly context specific, showing remarkable variability to even subtle alterations of the social and physical settings in which interaction occurs.
Abstract 1. This study used an event-based approach to provide empirical evidence regarding the nature of coordination in 3-and 6-month-old infants. Vocalizations and facial actions of 12 normally developing infants interacting with their... more
Abstract 1. This study used an event-based approach to provide empirical evidence regarding the nature of coordination in 3-and 6-month-old infants. Vocalizations and facial actions of 12 normally developing infants interacting with their caregivers were coded. Coded vocalizations and facial actions were considered coordinated when they temporally overlapped. Results indicate that infants coordinated their vocalizations and facial actions more than expected by chance.
Abstract This paper presents a framework to automatically estimate the gaze direction of an infant in an infant-parent face-to-face interaction. Commercial devices are sometimes used to produce automated measurement of the subjects' gaze... more
Abstract This paper presents a framework to automatically estimate the gaze direction of an infant in an infant-parent face-to-face interaction. Commercial devices are sometimes used to produce automated measurement of the subjects' gaze direction. This approach is intrusive, requiring cooperation from the participants, and cannot be employed in interactive face-to-face communication scenarios between a parent and their infant.
Non-verbal referential communication is impaired in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the development of difficulties with referential communication in the younger siblings of children with ASD (High-Risk... more
Non-verbal referential communication is impaired in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the development of difficulties with referential communication in the younger siblings of children with ASD (High-Risk Siblings)—and the degree to which early referential communication predicts later autism symptomatology—is not clear.
Abstract Little is known about attachment security and disorganization in children who are at genetic risk for an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prior to a possible diagnosis. The present study examined distributions of attachment... more
Abstract Little is known about attachment security and disorganization in children who are at genetic risk for an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prior to a possible diagnosis. The present study examined distributions of attachment security and disorganization at 15-months of age in a sample of infant siblings of older children with (ASD-sibs; n= 51) or without (COMP-sibs; n= 34) an ASD. ASD-sibs were not more or less likely to evince attachment insecurity or disorganization than COMP-sibs.
Stressful situations cause the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. This hormone causes an increased heart rate, diversion of blood flow to muscles, and metabolic changes, which allows energy to be made ready for use by the muscles.... more
Stressful situations cause the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. This hormone causes an increased heart rate, diversion of blood flow to muscles, and metabolic changes, which allows energy to be made ready for use by the muscles. All of these responses aim to aid in survival in stressful, and possibly life-threatening, situations. This mechanism works through a negative feedback system, so the stress response is able to quickly shut itself off and allow the body to function normally again.
Abstract We describe a novel approach for determining the audio-visual synchrony of a monologue video sequence utilizing vocal pitch and facial landmark trajectories as descriptors of the audio and visual modalities, respectively. The... more
Abstract We describe a novel approach for determining the audio-visual synchrony of a monologue video sequence utilizing vocal pitch and facial landmark trajectories as descriptors of the audio and visual modalities, respectively. The visual component is represented by the horizontal and vertical displacement of corresponding facial landmarks between subsequent frames. These facial landmarks are acquired using the statistical modeling technique, known as the Active Shape Model (ASM).
Abstract Early infant emotional development concerns the interactive emergence of emotional states that may motivate approach and withdrawal in epigenetic systems. Different patterns of infant facial expressions, vocalization, and gazing... more
Abstract Early infant emotional development concerns the interactive emergence of emotional states that may motivate approach and withdrawal in epigenetic systems. Different patterns of infant facial expressions, vocalization, and gazing emerge within dyadic interactions in the first 10 months of life. Concretely, the interface of a limited number of interactive parameters create complex real-time patterns which change over developmental time.
Abstract Adults' perceptions provide information about the emotional meaning of infant facial expressions. This study asks whether similar facial movements influence adult perceptions of emotional intensity in both infant positive (smile)... more
Abstract Adults' perceptions provide information about the emotional meaning of infant facial expressions. This study asks whether similar facial movements influence adult perceptions of emotional intensity in both infant positive (smile) and negative (cry-face) facial expressions. Ninety-five college students rated a series of naturally occurring and digitally edited images of infant facial expressions.
• Infant volubility is a measure of how much an infant vocalizes independent of the type of vocalization.• Prior studies suggest that if parents interact facially and vocally with 5-6 month old infants (face to face episode, FF) for 1-3... more
• Infant volubility is a measure of how much an infant vocalizes independent of the type of vocalization.• Prior studies suggest that if parents interact facially and vocally with 5-6 month old infants (face to face episode, FF) for 1-3 min, then withdraw interaction (still face episode, SF) for 1-2 min, then return to interaction (reunion episode, RE) for 1-3 min, volubility is highest in the SF period indicating that infants have learned the social value of their vocalizations (Goldstein et al. 2009, Yale et al.
We investigated whether cheek raising (AU6b-c) would lead infant smiles to be perceived as more positive and cry-faces to be perceived as more negative. Positive stimuli (16 in all) were photographic images of the same lower portion of... more
We investigated whether cheek raising (AU6b-c) would lead infant smiles to be perceived as more positive and cry-faces to be perceived as more negative. Positive stimuli (16 in all) were photographic images of the same lower portion of the smiling face, half with cheek raising (AU6b-c, Duchenne) and half without cheek raising (non-Duchenne).
Abstract Adults' perceptions provide information about the emotional meaning of infant facial expressions. This study asks whether similar facial movements influence adult perceptions of emotional intensity in both infant positive (smile)... more
Abstract Adults' perceptions provide information about the emotional meaning of infant facial expressions. This study asks whether similar facial movements influence adult perceptions of emotional intensity in both infant positive (smile) and negative (cry face) facial expressions. Ninety-five college students rated a series of naturally occurring and digitally edited images of infant facial expressions.
This study investigated the associations of the quantity and quality of infant nondistress vocalization with maternal and infant social actions (smiling and gazing) during dyadic interaction. Thirteen infants and their mothers were... more
This study investigated the associations of the quantity and quality of infant nondistress vocalization with maternal and infant social actions (smiling and gazing) during dyadic interaction. Thirteen infants and their mothers were observed weekly in a face-to-face interaction situation from 4 to 24 weeks. Results showed that the quantity (rate per minute) and quality (speech-likeness) of infant nondistress vocalization changed systematically with maternal smiling and gazing as well as with the infants' own smiling and gazing.
Abstract 1. The still-face paradigm (SFP) was designed to assess infant expectations that parents will respond to infant communicative signals. During the still-face (SF) episode, the parent ceases interaction and maintains a neutral... more
Abstract 1. The still-face paradigm (SFP) was designed to assess infant expectations that parents will respond to infant communicative signals. During the still-face (SF) episode, the parent ceases interaction and maintains a neutral expression. Original, qualitative descriptions of infant behavior suggested changes within the SF episode: infants decrease bidding and disengage from their impassive parent. Research has documented changes in mean levels of infant behavior between episodes of the SFP.
The degree to which infants' current actions are influenced by previous action is fundamental to our understanding of early social and cognitive competence. In this study, we found that infant gazing manifested notable temporal... more
The degree to which infants' current actions are influenced by previous action is fundamental to our understanding of early social and cognitive competence. In this study, we found that infant gazing manifested notable temporal dependencies during interaction with mother even when controlling for mother behaviors. The durations of infant gazes at mother's face were positively predicted by the durations of the two previous gazes at
Abstract 1. Prenatal cocaine and opiate exposure are thought to subtly compromise social and emotional development. The authors observed a large sample of 236 cocaine-exposed and 459 nonexposed infants (49 were opiate exposed and 646... more
Abstract 1. Prenatal cocaine and opiate exposure are thought to subtly compromise social and emotional development. The authors observed a large sample of 236 cocaine-exposed and 459 nonexposed infants (49 were opiate exposed and 646 nonexposed) with their mothers in the face-to-face still-face paradigm. Infant and maternal behaviors were microanalytically coded. No opiate-exposure effects were detected. However, mothers of cocaine-exposed infants showed more negative engagement than other mothers.
Six-month-old infants (N= 43) showed differences in the frequency of neutral/positive vocalizations produced when exposed to a standard (parent gazes at infant) versus modified still-face condition (parent gazes above infant). No... more
Six-month-old infants (N= 43) showed differences in the frequency of neutral/positive vocalizations produced when exposed to a standard (parent gazes at infant) versus modified still-face condition (parent gazes above infant). No significant differences in smiling, social gaze, negative affect, and fuss/cry vocalizations were observed.
Background: This randomized controlled trial compared Hanen's 'More than Words'(HMTW), a parent-implemented intervention, to a 'business as usual'control group. Methods: Sixty-two children (51 boys and 11 girls; M age= 20 months; SD= 2.6)... more
Background: This randomized controlled trial compared Hanen's 'More than Words'(HMTW), a parent-implemented intervention, to a 'business as usual'control group. Methods: Sixty-two children (51 boys and 11 girls; M age= 20 months; SD= 2.6) who met criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their parents participated in the study. The HMTW intervention was provided over 3.5 months. There were three measurement periods: prior to randomization (Time 1) and at 5 and 9 months post enrollment (Times 2 and 3).
ABSTRACT. This study examines whether the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition (Bayley II) Mental Scale scores vary on the basis of which item set is considered the starting point of an infants assessment. The Bayley II was... more
ABSTRACT. This study examines whether the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition (Bayley II) Mental Scale scores vary on the basis of which item set is considered the starting point of an infants assessment. The Bayley II was administered to 78 12-month-old infants by certified examiners beginning with the 12-month age item set. A second certified examiner then administered 10 additional items that completed the 11-month and 13-month age item sets.
The quality of children's social interactions and their attachment security with a primary caregiver are two widely studied indices of socioemotional functioning in early childhood. Although both Bowlby and Ainsworth suggested that the... more
The quality of children's social interactions and their attachment security with a primary caregiver are two widely studied indices of socioemotional functioning in early childhood. Although both Bowlby and Ainsworth suggested that the parent–child interactions underlying the development of attachment security could be distinguished from other aspects of parent–child interaction (eg, play), relatively little empirical research has examined this proposition.
Since Schlosberg's (1952) ground-breaking work, several researchers (eg, Etcoff, 1984; Russell & Bullock, 1985; Mignault, 1999) have proposed emotional spaces to describe how people perceive facial expressions of emotion. However, one... more
Since Schlosberg's (1952) ground-breaking work, several researchers (eg, Etcoff, 1984; Russell & Bullock, 1985; Mignault, 1999) have proposed emotional spaces to describe how people perceive facial expressions of emotion. However, one common problem that all authors face is the following: How can we compare our space to those found in the literature? Until now, researchers have answered this question in purely qualitative terms, by stating that their emotional space was similar to that found in another study.