caregiver-infant interactions

• what is the definition of attachment?

  a close 2-way emotional bond between 2 individuals (caregiver and infant) in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security, as a result desire to remain proximity to eachother
• what behaviours are associated with caregiver-infant interaction?

  1. a desire to maintain proximity = physical closeness to eachother
  2. Separation anxiety = distress when attachment figure leaves an infant's presence
  3. Secure-base behaviour = regularly returning to attachment figure while playing and exploring independently
• what are the 2 forms of caregiver-infant interactions?

  1. Reciprocity
  2. Interactional synchrony
• describe reciprocity

  Turn-taking process between caregiver and infant where the behaviour of each individual elicits a response from the other, resulting in mutual interaction flowing between the 2
• why is reciprocity important?

  Vital to a child's physical, neurological, cognitive and psychological development and becomes the basis for trust and mistrust. Shapes how a child will relate to the world, learn and form relationships throughout life
• Research support for reciprocity - tronick (1978) still face experiment

  had mothers holding and facing their babies with a still face, she doesnt respond to babys behaviours. Babies would become agitated at their failed attempts to revoke reactions in their mother, demonstrates importance of reciprocity for a child's wellbeing
• what is interactional synchrony?

  Pattern of social communication where caregiver and infants actions and emotions mirror eachother: they carry out the same actions and expressions simultaneously
• Research support for interactional synchrony - meltzoff and moore

  Observed start of interactional synchrony in infants as young as 2 weeks old. Adults displayed one of three facial expressions or gestures then the child's response was recorded and observed by independent observers. Association between expression or gesture displayed by adult and actions of the baby
• What is a limitation of observing infants?

  Observations only show hand movements or changes in facial expressions so it is difficult to be certain based on observations what is going on cognitively within infants, and whether an infants imitation of adult signals is conscious and deliberate, an innate biological behaviour or mere coincidence. Therefore it isnt certain whether behaviours have special meaning although many studies have found the same patterns
• what is an advantage of observations of mother-infant interactions?

  Both are filmed from multiple angles so fine details of behaviour can be recorded and later analysed. Infants don't know or care about being observed so their behaviour doesn't change = no demand characteristics. Provides good internal validity, highly controlled nature makes them highly replicable
• what did feldman point out about synchrony?

  Only describes behaviours occurring at the same time. existence of behaviours is valid through reliable observations, this description of caregiver-infant interactions is limited as it doesn't provide purpose or explanation as to why they occur and how they aid a child's development
• why is research into caregiver-infant interactions socially sensitive?


  Suggests a child's development may be disadvantaged due to certain child-bearing practices, particularly where mothers have no choice but to return to work shortly after birth as this limits the opportunity for achieving and carrying out reciprocity and interactional synchrony