Biological basis of social interactions: implications of research for an understanding of behavioural deviance.

Among the infant's initial risks, interactional failures have recently been identified as potential links of vicious circles leading from inconspicuous deviance to severe clinical syndromes. The knowledge of the origins of interactional failure has been insufficient. In this paper a basic explanatory model is presented and two major determinants of successful parent-infant interactions are analysed: the infant's integrative competence and the initial forms of parenting. Particular attention is paid to pre-term infants and the biological roots of parenting.