The study of corresponding levels of analysis in the parent-infant/child interaction may lead us to a common language and shared concepts, that in turn will hopefully aid in the prolific exchanges among researchers from various theoretical and methodological backgrounds. The authors of this article represent some of the most prominent research teams of Brazil engaged in the study of parent-infant/child interaction. Their various perspectives are presented, as are their points of agreement and disagreement, with the purpose of demonstrating both the complexity and the diversity of approaches to the parent-infant/child interactions and their role in development. Although there is no consensual definition of interaction, there is a tendency of the authors to consider the question of reciprocal actions, co-construction, and bidirectionality. Granting that there is a trend to focus on manifested behavior and interaction, there is also a clear awareness that implicit transactions and social representations must be studied through rigorous methodological procedures, insofar as they influence interactions. It is hoped that, as these discussions progress, the ideas proposed herein will be both improved and better disseminated.
Parent-infant interaction; co-construction; bidirectionality