Caregiver-infant interactions

• Attachment is an emotional tie or bond between two people. Usually primary caregiver and a child
• Two types of caregiver-infant interactions are

  1. Reciprocity
  2. Interactional Synchrony
• Reciprocity is an infant responding to actions of another person. Actions of one elicits a response from another.
• Research describes reciprocity like a 'dance'.
• Research suggests from 3 months old, reciprocity increases in frequency, as more attention is paid by both parties. More sensitive responses. Lays strong foundations for attachment
• Interactional synchrony is where infant mirrors the actions or emotions or another person. Can be referred to as imitation. This serves to sustain communication between the two individuals
• Key study: Meltzoff and Moore

  Method:

  • controlled observation
  • adult displayed one of three facial expressions or a hand gesture. Child had dummy in mouth to prevent facial response.
  • following this, the dummy was removed and child expression was filmed
• Meltzoff and Moore Results:

  • clear association between behaviour of infants and models.
  • Later research in 3 day old's showed similar results
• Meltzoff and Moore conclusion:

  • interactional synchrony is innate and imitative behaviour is not learned