interactions between caregiver & infant

• reciprocity 


  -responding to action with another action

  -actions of one causes response from the other
• reciprocity between infant & caregiver

  -basic rhythm of interaction builds skills needed for later communication

  -regularity of infant's signals allows caregiver to anticipate infant's behaviour & respond appropriately

  -sensitivity of caregiver lays foundation for later attachment between them
• interactional synchrony


  -two people move in the same pattern

  -mirroring actions
• interactional synchrony between infant & caregiver


  -mother & infant tend to mirror each other when interacting

  -important for mother-infant attachment
• strengths of Meltzoff & Moore's study

  -controlled observations > fine details recorded & analysed

  > high internal validity

  -important implications > interactions important in development

  of quality of attachment

  > important in development of empathy,

  moral reasoning & language

  -Murray & Treverthen (supporting infants imitate caregivers on

  purpose)

  -Isabella (supporting evidence of interactional synchrony)

  > THIS RESEARCH IS CORRELATIONAL SO CAUSE & EFFECT CAN'T BE INFERRED

  > OTHER FACTORS MAY BE INVOLVED IN QUALITY OF ATTACHMENT
• Murray & Treverthen - supporting evidence (interactional synchrony)


  -study on 2 month old infants

  -first condition = babies interacted via video monitor with mother

  -second condition = video monitor played tape of mother so image on screen not responding to infant's facial & body gestures

  -infants showed severe stress when tried to attract non-responding mother

  -gaining no response, babies became disinterested & turned away

  -shows infants actively try to get response and is active in mother-infant interaction as theory suggests
• Isabella - supporting evidence (interactional synchrony)


  -observed 30 mothers & infants together & assessed their synchrony & quality of attachment

  -high levels of synchrony associated with better quality attachment

  -suggests relationship between synchrony & attachment quality

  X research is correlational so can't infer cause & effect

  X other factors may be involved in attachment