caregiver infant interactions

• What is reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions?

  Interaction where one person's action prompts another's
• How do infants interact with their caregivers?

  They respond to each other's signals and expressions
• When do babies show reciprocity to caregivers?

  From birth
• What do babies do during periods of alertness?

  They are more receptive to interaction
• How often should caregivers detect infants' alertness signals?

  About two-thirds of the time
• What can stress and distractions cause in caregiver-infant interactions?

  They can lead to missed alertness signals
• How is the interaction between infant and caregiver described?

  As a two-way process with active involvement
• What metaphor did Brazelton et al. (1975) use to describe infant-caregiver interaction?


  A 'dance' where each responds to the other
• What does the reciprocal relationship between infant and caregiver establish?

  Foundations for secure attachment
• Who devised the Still Face Experiment?

  Tronick (1972)
• What is the procedure of the Still Face Experiment?

  Caregiver interacts, then shows a still face
• What happens during the 'still face' phase of the experiment?

  Infants show confusion, distress, and withdrawal
• What do infants do after the still face phase?

  They quickly regulate emotions and resume play
• What does the Still Face Experiment suggest about infants?

  They seek emotional connection with caregivers
• What is interactional synchrony?

  Mirroring of actions between two people
• Why is interactional synchrony important?

  It enables secure attachment between infant and caregiver
• What did Isabella et al. (1989) find about synchrony?

  Higher synchrony leads to more secure attachment
• What did Meltzoff & Moore (1977) study?

  Interactional synchrony between caregivers and infants
• How did Meltzoff & Moore conduct their study?

  By recording infants' facial expressions after a dummy was removed
• At what age did interactional synchrony begin according to Meltzoff & Moore?

  As young as two weeks old
• What are the strengths of Meltzoff & Moore's study on interactional synchrony?

  • Filmed observations allow later analysis
  • Infants unaware of being filmed, ensuring valid data
  • High validity due to natural behavior
• What evidence supports Meltzoff & Moore's findings?

  • Murray & Tervarthen (1985) study with two-month-olds
  • Infants showed distress when mothers did not interact
  • Suggests infants are active partners in interactions
• What are the limitations of using infants in research?

  • Difficult to test behaviors due to random movements
  • Hard to distinguish between general and specific actions
  • Findings may lack certainty
• What is a limitation of the Still Face Experiment?

  • Lab procedure may lack ecological validity
  • Findings may not reflect real-world interactions
  • May exaggerate or inhibit certain behaviors
• How can observational research on caregiver-infant interactions be refined?

  By using behavioral categories for observations
• What do behavioral categories allow researchers to do?

  They enable tallying observations into groupings
• How do behavioral categories improve research reliability?

  They provide a clear focus for data recording
• Why is the researcher's interpretation considered subjective?

  It is based on personal opinion and bias