Professor Colwyn Trevarthen (1931-2024)

Professor Colwyn Trevarthen, Emeritus Professor of Psychobiology and Child Psychology at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), died on July 1st at the age of 93.

Colwyn was an extraordinary person, scientist, and advocate for understanding infants and their capacities to communicate and share experiences with their parents, caregivers, siblings, and friends. Colwyn tirelessly showed how infants are social people. They are active participants, as recipients and communicators, in their relationships. Colwyn contributed hugely to the professional growth and development of many WAIMH members, allied members, and the wider infant and early childhood community.

To honour Colwyn fully, Hisako Watanabe (WAIMH Regional Vice President) and Campbell Paul (WAIMH Past President) are in the process of compiling a reflective tribute to Colwyn, a treasured friend and colleague. This will be available soon.

In the interim, Salisha Maharaj and Maree Foley, from the Perspectives team, have compiled a selection of infant mental health and early childhood development-focused academic and free open-source resources where Colwyn Trevarthen is the author or co-author.

Academic papers

Below are just ten (of the hundreds) of references that have been authored or co-authored by Professor Colwyn Trevarthen in the fields of Infant Mental Health and Early Childhood Development:

Trevarthen, C. (1979). Communication and cooperation in early infancy: A description of primary intersubjectivity. In M. Bullowa (Ed.), Before Speech: The Beginning of Interpersonal Communication(pp. 321-347). Cambridge University Press.
Trevarthen, C. (1993). The self born in intersubjectivity: The psychology of an infant communicating. In U. Neisser (Ed.), The Perceived Self: Ecological and Interpersonal Sources of Self-Knowledge(pp. 121-173). Cambridge University Press.
Trevarthen, C. (2001). Intrinsic motives for companionship in understanding: Their origin, development, and significance for infant mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal, 22(1-2), 95-131. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0355(200101/04)22:1/2<95::AID-IMHJ3>3.0.CO;2-6
Trevarthen, C. (2005). Stepping away from the mirror: Pride and shame in adventures of companionship—Reflections on the nature and emotional needs of infant intersubjectivity. In C. S. Carter, L. Ahnert, K. E. Grossmann, S. B. Hrdy, M. E. Lamb, S. W. Porges, & N. Sachser (Eds.), Attachment and Bonding: A New Synthesis(pp. 55-84). MIT Press.
Trevarthen, C., & Aitken, K. J. (2001). Infant intersubjectivity: Research, theory, and clinical applications. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42(1), 3-48. https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-7610.00701
Trevarthen, C., & Hubley, P. (1978). Secondary intersubjectivity: Confidence, confiding and acts of meaning in the first year. In A. Lock (Ed.), Action, Gesture and Symbol: The Emergence of Language(pp. 183-229). Academic Press.
Trevarthen, C. (1980). The foundations of intersubjectivity: Development of interpersonal and cooperative understanding in infants. In D. Olson (Ed.), The Social Foundations of Language and Thought: Essays in Honor of J.S. Bruner(pp. 316-342). Norton.
Trevarthen, C. (2011). What is it like to be a person who knows nothing? Defining the active intersubjective mind of a newborn human being. Infant and Child Development, 20(1), 119-135. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.689
Trevarthen, C., & Reddy, V. (2007). Consciousness in infants. In M. Velmans & S. Schneider (Eds.), The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness(pp. 41-57). Blackwell Publishing.
Trevarthen, C., & Delafield-Butt, J. T. (2013). Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7, 49. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2013.00049

An open-source and free-to-access selection of resources

Papers

Making music with your baby: Trevarthen’s communication research: Why attachment matters. Microsoft Word – Colwyn Trevarthen 2009 Human Needs and Human Sense The Natural Science of Meaning SAIA Glasgow copy.docx (ddpnetwork.org)

Learning about ourselves, from children: why a growing human brain needs interesting companions. https://atotalapproach.com/images/docs/ColwynTrewarthen2004.pdf (found online free)

Stepping Away from the Mirror: Pride and Shame in Adventures of Companionship. Reflections on the Nature and Emotional Needs of Infant Intersubjectivity. https://ddpnetwork.org/backend/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Trevarthen-Colwyn-2005-Reflections-on-Infant-Intersubjectivity-.pdf (found online free)