Previewing: a preventive strategy that promotes adaptive development

Abstract

The phenomenon of previewing, evident from observations of mother-infant interaction, represents a unique process for understanding the evolution of relational patterns in individuals. Previewing refers to the process whereby mothers first anticipate developmental acquisitions in their infants and subsequently convert these expectations into behaviors designed to acquaint the infant with the experience of new maturational skill and the implications these skills will have on the dyadic relationship. Previewing signifies a distinctive means of approaching the etiology of human behavior because it integrates the subjective perceptions experienced by the mother with the objective behaviors that are an outgrowth of these internal representations. Understanding the previewing process may offer therapists a new technique for diagnosing, treating, and preventing psychopathology. The diagnostic potential of previewing lies in the fact that the therapist can contrast the mother's subjective perceptions with her behavioral manifestations and with the objective developmental changes exhibited by the infant. In addition, by encouraging the mother to predict how upcoming developmental events will affect the interpersonal relationship she shares with the infant, the therapist gains access to unrehearsed material that has not yet been subjected to the defensive operations. As a treatment technique, previewing fosters the predictive capacities of both mother and infant, thereby instilling feelings of mastery over the interpersonal challenges posed by developmental change.