CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS

• What is reciprocity?

  = responding the the action of a person with another actions. interaction flows both ways between adult and infant.
• reciprocity:

  Argued to be the most basic rhythm and its important to later communications

  It increases in frequency and the caregiver and infant pay increasing attention to each others verbal and facial communications.

  Through showing this sensitive responsiveness, it will lay down strong foundations for attachment to develop later.
• What is interactional synchrony?

  = Takes place when infants mirror the actions or emotions of another person e.g. their facial expressions. This mirroring can also be referred to as imitation.
• Meltzoff and Moore (1977)

  Method: controlled observation - an adult model displayed one of 3 facial expressions. dummy was removed following the display from the adult model, and the Childs expressions were filmed.
• Results:

  There was a clear association between the infants behaviour and that of the adult model.

  Research was completed later on 3 year olds, with the same conclusion.
• Conclusion:

  The findings suggest that interactional synchrony is innate and reduces the strength of any claim that imitative behaviour is learnt.
• What is a strength of caregiver infant interactions?

  Research to support reciprocity - Murray

  First - two month old infants interacted with mum via a video monitor

  Second - screen doesn't respond to child - causes distress - turned away after no response

  This shows that they're responding to actions of mother, rather than displaying rewarding response

  Suggests reciprocity is rewarding and innate.
• Why is a weakness of research into caregiver infant interactions?

  Ethical issues - children cannot formally give consent

  Distress - causing harm to baby.
• What is a strength of caregiver infant interactions?

  Research to support interactional synchrony - DeYong

  Observed infants interacting with inanimate objects - mouth and tongue actions

  The child didn't imitate the behaviour

  Suggests that mimicking behaviour is a specific social response to humans and is likely to be evolutionarily beneficial - adaptive.
• What is a weakness of caregiver interactions?

  Individual difference associated with interactional synchrony.

  Isabella et al (1989) - found that the more securely attached the infant, the greater the level of interactional synchrony

  Suggests that the level/intensity of attachment will affect how likely the infant is to respond/ mirror the models actions.