Abstract
Affective exchanges present in the interactions with peers and caregivers help the institutionalized child to face the reception, which can result in various deprivations. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the affective exchanges and attempts of exchanges, in contexts of interaction child-child and child-caregivers. Ten children of both sexes, from six to eleven, and their caregivers participated. We used the technique of the focal subject, with observations recorded in video, in free situations, performed in two host institutions. The analyses were based on the predefined categories of affective exchanges attempts (AEA), affective exchanges (AE) and affective behaviors. The results revealed that AEA were more frequent than AE. There was a 94% percentage of the AEA and AE episodes that occurred among children and their peers, indicating that attempts and exchanges were much less frequent among children and caregivers. From the affective behaviors observed, laughing/smiling was the one that had the highest frequency (65.64% of the total occurrences). Children manifested more affective behavior in moments of play. Based on the evidence obtained, it is understood that, although interactions with caregivers are more restricted and occur less frequently, in interactions with pairs children find greater possibilities to strengthen the affective bonds formed in the institution to deal with negative intercurrences of the situation of institutionalization.
Affective Exchanges; Child; Institutional Care
