KEY FACTS

• Key Point:

  • Caregiver- infant interactions are essential for SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
• RECIPROCITY (TURN TAKING)

  • Important SOCIALLY in CONVERSATION
  • Caregiver and infant produce responses from one another

  Active involvement:

  • Both infant and caregivers can initiate interactions and they seem to take turns doing so 

  Alert phases:

  • Baby signals that they are ready for interaction e.g. eye contact
  • 2/3 times- mothers pick up and respond to alertness
• Key point:

  Feldman (2007) - alert phases are more frequent when the infant is 3 months old- mother and baby pay close attention to signals / facial expressions 
• INTERACTIONAL SYNCHRONY (IS)

  • MIRRORING- the CAREGIVER & INFANT carry out the SAME ACTION SIMULTANEOUSLY (more than by CHANCE)
  • MELTZOFF & MOORE- observed IS in 2 week old babies
  • ISABELLA et al - observed 30 mothers / babies together -> high levels of SYNCHRONY associated with better quality MOTHER-BABY attachment