Infant caregiver interactions

• Researchers into interactional synchrony include Isabella et al and meltzoffe and Moore
• interactional synchrony is the temporal coordination of micro-level social behaviours
• Isabella et al

  • observed 30 mothers and their infants
  • assessed the degree of synchrony between the two
  • also assessed the quality of mother-infant interactions

  Found:

  • high levels of synchrony were associated with between quality mother-infant attachments

  link:

  • highlighting the importance of interactional synchrony in the development of attachment
• meltzoffe and Moore:

  • observed interactional synchrony in infants as young as two weeks old
  • adult was asked to display one of three facial expressions or hand gestures
  • the child’s response to this was filmed to watch back later

  Found: an association between the expression or gesture of the adult and that shown by the infant

  link: showing the existence of interactional synchrony
• Reciprocity is an interaction where each person responds to the other and in turn, illicites a response
• Researchers into reciprocity include Tronick et al and Brazelton
• Tronick et al:

  • asked mothers who had been speaking to infants normally to suddenly remain still with a static expression

  Found:

  • babies would smile at mothers as normal to try and provoke a response
  • they became increasingly puzzled when this did not occur

  link:

  • suggesting that due to reciprocity, babies anticipate a concordant response to their actions
• Brazelton et al:

  • traditional views of attachment labels babies views as ‘passive’
  • evidence however, suggests that attachment is reciprocal and both mother and infant initiate responses and alternate in doing so
  • described this as a ‘dance’
• +++ Methodological strengths of supporting research

  • observational methods used to assess infant caregiver interactions
  • such as the detailed observation by meltzoffe and Moore
  • who filmed the procedure so they could watch it back later and analyse the interaction in detail
  • this provides details that may have been missed by a normal observation
  • and therefore thorough qualitative data - providing a lot of information to support the idea of infant caregiver interactions
• +++ No risk of observer effects - increases validity

  • since the sample being tested consisted of babies
  • they were not aware they were being observed
  • and therefore did not change their behaviour due to the presence of an observer
  • this increases internal validity
  • as the researcher can be sure they are observing the natural behaviour of the babies and not an altered state
• — Methodological issues with supporting research - sample

  • sample consisted of babies
  • babies cannot express their thought processes of the meaning behind their actions
  • it is therefore difficult to assume that their actions are intentional
  • any observed reciprocity or interactional synchrony may be meaningless to the infant and have nothing to do with attachment
  • as we do not know what is going on from the child’s perspective