3.1 Caregiver-Infant Interactions

• Caregiver-infant interactions involve reciprocal and coordinated patterns of behaviour between a caregiver and an infant.
• Reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions involves both the caregiver and infant responding to each other's signals and behaviour.
• Interactional synchrony occurs when actions and emotions are coordinated in a time-linked fashion, allowing for mutual understanding and bonding.
• Match the characteristic with its effectiveness in caregiver-infant interactions:

  Reciprocity ↔️ Consistent mutual responses

  Interactional synchrony ↔️ Smooth synchronization of behaviours

  Sensitive responsiveness ↔️ Timely and appropriate responses
• The formula $S =$$\frac{C}{I}$ is used to measure interactional synchrony, where $S$ is the synchrony score, $C$ is the coordination level, and $I$ is the total interaction occurrences.
• Reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions refers to the mutual exchange of signals and responses between the caregiver and infant.
• Effective reciprocity involves prompt and appropriate responses to the infant's needs.
• The formula $R =$$\frac{S}{T}$ is used to measure reciprocity, where $S$ is the number of successful exchanges and $T$ is the total number of interaction attempts.
• Interactional synchrony in caregiver-infant interactions involves the coordination of actions and emotions in a time-linked fashion.
• Effective interactional synchrony ensures that the caregiver and infant mirror each other's states.
• The formula $S =$$\frac{C}{I}$ is used to measure interactional synchrony, where $C$ is the coordination level and $I$ is the total interaction occurrences.
• Steps to measure interactional synchrony in caregiver-infant interactions:

  1️⃣ Observe interactions between caregiver and infant

  2️⃣ Record the coordination level

  3️⃣ Count the total interaction occurrences

  4️⃣ Calculate the synchrony score using the formula
• Imitation in caregiver-infant interactions strengthens emotional bonding and facilitates communication.
• Effective imitation in caregiver-infant interactions involves accurate and timely responses from caregivers.
• The formula $I =$$\frac{M}{T}$ is used to measure the imitation rate, where M</latex> is the number of successful imitations and $T$ is the total number of interaction turns.
• What are caregiver-infant interactions crucial for in infants?

  Emotional and social development
• Reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions involves mutual responses to each other's signals
• Interactional synchrony refers to actions and emotions being coordinated in time between a caregiver and infant.
• What does sensitive responsiveness in caregiver-infant interactions mean?

  Aware and timely responses
• The formula for synchrony score is $S =$$\frac{C}{I}$
• What is the mutual exchange of signals and responses between a caregiver and infant called?

  Reciprocity
• Effective reciprocity involves prompt and appropriate responses to the infant's needs.
• What does turn-taking contribute to in effective reciprocity?

  Harmonious exchanges
• What does the variable $R$ represent in the formula for reciprocity score?


  Reciprocity score
• In the reciprocity formula, $S$ stands for the number of successful exchanges
• Interactional synchrony involves mutual mirroring of emotions and actions between a caregiver and infant.
• How does effective interactional synchrony enhance infant development?

  By fostering bonding
• Why is imitation important in caregiver-infant interactions?

  Strengthens emotional bonding
• Effective imitation involves accurate and timely responses
• Ineffective imitation in caregiver-infant interactions can hinder social-emotional growth.
• What does the variable $I$ represent in the formula for imitation rate?


  Imitation rate
• Caregiver characteristics, such as responsiveness and sensitivity, influence caregiver-infant interactions
• An infant's temperament can affect the ease of caregiver-infant interactions.
• What does caregiver sensitivity enhance in caregiver-infant interactions?

  Interaction quality
• Match the research study with its key finding on caregiver-infant interactions:

  Meltzoff & Moore (1977) ↔️ Infants mirror expressions, suggesting innate imitation capacity

  Tronick's Still Face Experiment ↔️ Infants become distressed and try to re-engage
• What does caregiver sensitivity enhance in caregiver-infant interactions?

  Interaction quality
• Infant temperament affects the ease of interaction
• Environmental stress can negatively impact caregiver mood and hinder interaction quality.
• The sensitivity score is calculated by dividing the number of appropriate responses by the total number of observed needs
• What did Meltzoff & Moore's (1977) study suggest about infants' ability to imitate?

  Innate capacity for imitation