Recopricity-interactional

• Attachment


  An emotional connection or bond between the child and the principle caregiver, characterised by mutual affection, frequent interaction, a desire for proximity (to be close) and selectivity (the child wants to be with the caregiver rather than anyone else)
• Attachment


  • Strong, enduring, emotional and reciprocal bond between two people, especially an infant and caregiver
• Caregiver-Infant Interactions


  1. Interactional synchrony (carrying out the same action simultaneously)

  2. Reciprocity (when each person responds to the other)
• Interactional synchrony


  When the caregiver and baby reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated (synchronised) way; they mirror each other
• Interactional synchrony


  • Meltzoff and Moore (1977) observed babies as young as 2 weeks old mirroring facial expressions and gestures of adults
• High levels of interactional synchrony


  Associated with better quality of mother-baby attachment (e.g. the emotional intensity of the relationship)
• Reciprocity


  Sequential turn-taking between the caregiver and infant, where each person responds to the other and elicits a response from them
• Reciprocity


  • Brazelton et al (1975) described caregiver-infant interaction as a 'dance' where each partner responds to the other person's moves
• Infants appear to have a need for close intimate interactions from birth and signal this need (eg by making eye contact) during periods of alertness
• Caregivers (usually mothers) seem to respond to these 'alert phases' roughly two out of three times
• Controlled observations of caregiver-infant interactions

  • Tend to produce reliable data because they take place in laboratory settings with standardised procedures
  • Filmed and fine details carefully analysed by trained observers
• Internal validity


  The accuracy of a study, whether it measures what it is supposed to measure
• Using very young infants can increase internal validity as they are unaware they are being observed and less likely to be affected by demand characteristics
• Demand characteristics may still affect the behaviour of caregivers, who may alter their behaviour to act in a more socially desirable way
• Research into mother-infant interaction is very sensitive and can affect mothers and caregivers across the wider population
• The research suggests children may be at a disadvantage if their caregivers return to work so soon, as this will restrict opportunities for interactional synchrony