Categorical Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis Applied to Communicative Interaction during Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

Figure 1

Recurrence plots (RP) of verbal expressions and grammar coming from an individual (Panels (a) and (b)) and dyads (Panels (c) and (d)). Panel (a) shows a RP with a delay of 1 and an embedded dimension equal to 1, in which it is possible to observe a diagonal line and coloured squares that show repetitions—in speech—of certain grammatical structures (e.g., verb, pronoun, adjective, article, adverb, among others) while the individual was interacting communicatively. Panel (b) shows a RP in which the original verbal expressions were randomized (reshuffled). Randomization destroyed the sequences and, therefore, the coherence with which the behaviours was appearing while the interaction was taking place. Thus, the RP represented by Panel (b) shows a random pattern of behaviours, in which predictability is very low, there is maximum entropy, and there is no system stability at all. Panel (c) shows a RP generated from a dyadic interaction in which C-RQA was applied. This RP and its randomized version (Panel (d)) have a characteristic that differentiates them from the RPs in panels (a) and (b). This is because the diagonal identity line is not present. Being two systems that interact, the diagonal line of identity tends to disappear.

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(b)

(c)

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