Caregiver-Infant Interactions

• define attachment


  - a close two-way emotional bond between two individuals, in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security

  - twoway caregiver-infant interactions
• define reciprocity


  - mutual turn-taking form of interaction

  - both caregiver and infant contribute to te interaction by responding to the other's signals and cues
• define interactional synchrony


  - simultaneous interaction between the infant and caregiver who appear to be acting rhythmically

  - eg:matching, coordinated behaviour and matching emotional states
• what happens during imitation?


  - the infant directly copies the caregiver's expression
• what happens during sensitive responsiveness?


  - the adult caregiver correctly interprets the meaning of the infant's communication, they are motivated to respond appropriately
• what happens during child-directed speech?


  - adult caregiver talks in a 'sing song' tone, helping to keep the infant's attention
• what happens during body contact?


  - physical, skin-to-skin contact, that is necessary for bonding

  - eg: breastfeeding
• outline Meltzoff + Moore


  - experimenter displayed facial gestures (sticking tongue out, opening their mouth in shock) to 12-21 day old infants

  - recordings of the infant's responses were rated by people unaware of the experiment
• findings Meltzoff + Moore


  - infant response matched the experimenter's facial expressions

  - suggesting the ability to observe and reciprocate through imitation is present from an early age
• A03, inter-rater reliability/internal validity


  - many studies use multiple observers that are unaware of the true aims of the experiment

  - provides inter-rater reliability
• A03, inferences


  - infants cannot directly communicate their thoughts or emotions, therefore research findings depend on inferences (unscientific)

  - could suffer from researcher bias as they may be interpreted in a way that supports the hypotheses of the experimenter

  - social desirability bias: observers may suggest findings that they believe will paint themselves in a positive light
• A03, social sensitivity


  - some mothers may be unable to abstain from the workplace for a long period after giving birth due to extenuating circumstances (eg: financial problems)

  - this means that they cannot develop a high level of interactional synchrony with their infant
• (Schaffer), stage 1 of attachment: asocial


  - 0-6 weeks

  - babies display innate behaviours that ensure proximity to any potential caregiver

  - perceptual ability is limited, therefore also display these behaviours to non-human objects

  - anyone can comfort them, do not prefer any individual caregiver
• stage 2: indiscriminate attachment


  - 6 weeks-7 months

  - infants develop ability to tell the difference between humans and objects and between familiar and unfamiliar individuals

  - however, do not yet show stranger or separation anxiety
• stage 3: specific attachment


  - 7-9 months

  - babies form a strong attachment to a primary caregiver

  - separation and stranger anxiety develop
• stage 4: multiple attachment


  - 9-10+ months

  - infant starts to form attachments with other regular caregivers (grandparents, siblings)

  - stranger anxiety starts to decrease
• Schaffer + Emerson, Glasgow babies study:


  - 60 workingclass babies studied

  - yr1, data collected through monthly observations + interviews, with a follow-up visit every 18 months

  - stranger anxiety (signs of discomfort when left with researcher) and separation anxiety (signs of discomfort when primary caregiver moved to another room) were assessed
• Glasgow babies: findigns/results


  - separation anxiety occurred most in babies by 25-32 weeks, stranger anxiety occurring in most a month later

  - 18 month follow-up, 87% developed multiple attachments, however strongest was to mothers with consistent caregiver-infant interactions

  - suggest development occurs in stages outlined by Schaffer (biologically influenced?), multiple attachments develop quickly - not just primary attachment to the mother as argued by Bowlby

  - quality of caregiver-infant interaction directly impacts the strength of the attachment
• A03, Schaffer + Emerson: may not be generalisable


  - sample only included working-class mothers in Glasgow

  - from 1960s, may lack temporal validity as child rearing practices have likely changed significantly over the years
• A03, Schaffer + Emerson: mundane realism


  - infants and families observed in their own homes, the environment and experience for the infants was normal
• Schaffer: role of the father


  Schaffer found:

  -primary attachment figure: mother alone 65%, both 30%, father alone 3%

  - however at 18 months, 75%of infants had formed attachment with father, showing separation anxiety
• A03,role of the father


  - research suggests that fathers' take on a more challenging/playful role for the infant, which is just as important

  - socially sensitive: research argues the role of the mother cannot be replaced by the role of the father, may lead to single/double father families feeling as though they cannot fully provide for their infants

  - economic implications: research could lead to legislation ensuring equal maternity and paternity leave