Dyadic Flexibility during the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm: A dynamic systems analysis of its temporal organization

•We modeled the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm using dynamic systems principles.•A measure of dyadic flexibility was derived using the state space grid technique.•Infant–caregiver dyadic flexibility, though stable, increased after a perturbation.•Dyadic flexibility was correlated to infant negativity during the perturbation.•Sons of depressed mothers appeared to have greater regulatory difficulties.

A dynamic systems analytical model was used to characterize infant–caregiver regulatory dynamics. Though stable, there was an increase in dyadic flexibility following a perturbation. Dyadic flexibility was positively related to infant negativity during the perturbation. Findings were qualified by infant sex and maternal depressive symptoms.