Caregiver infant interactions

• Define attachment

  Close two way emotional bond between two individuals, other person essential for emotional security
• What is reciprocity?

  When an infant and care giver respond to eachothers signals , elicits responses from eachother
• What are some key elements of reciprocity?

  • Turn taking
  • Alert phases
  • Active involvement
• What is turn taking within reciprocity?

  Taking turns to respond to eachother
• What is interactional synchrony?

  When the caregiver and infant reflect the actions and emotions of each other in a synchronised way
• What is mirroring in interactional synchrony?

  When the actions of the caregiver and infant are parallel
• What was Meltzoff and Moore's study in interactional synchrony

  • Observed interactional synchrony in 2 week old babies
  • Adult displayed 1/3 facial expressions or gestures
  • Babies responses were filmed and judged by different observers
  • Found significant association between adult's behaviour and babies response
  • Provided evidence for interactional synchrony
• Give two strengths and two limitations of studies into infant-caregiver interactions?

  STRENGTHS:

  • filmed observations, can rewatch, increases reliability + internal validity
  • practical applications , improves education and parenting books

  LIMITATIONS:

  • Ethics , children cannot consent, confidential
  • Problems when observing infants, hard to interpret actions, no specific meanings