There are two types of caregiver-infant interactions; reciprocity and interactional synchrony.
Reciprocity is a two-way and mutual relationship where the caregiver and infant respond to each other one after another and act in response to each others signals.
Reciprocity: Alert Phases
Babies have alert phases where they signal to their caregiver that they are ready for interaction. Studies found that mothers respond to these signals 2/3 times. Finegood said that babies alert signals can be confused by external factors, such as fatigue and stress.
Research into Reciprocity:
Traventhen
Tranick
Brazelton
Reciprocity: Brazelton
Brazelton describes reciprocity as a dance, as each partner responds to each others moves
Reciprocity: Tranick
Tranick asked mothers to stop interacting with their infants mid-dialogue in which the child desperately sought a response and became upset.
Reciprocity: Trevanthen
Trevanthen suggests that reciprocity is important for social and language skill development, specifically the turn-taking aspect of it.
Interactional Synchrony/Synchronised Emotions
This is when the infant and caregiver move in sync with one another, mirroring eachothers moves and actions.
Synchronised Emotions: Meltzoff and Moore
Meltzoff and Moore conducted research into synchronised emotions using caregivers and their infants as young as 2/3 weeks. They found that even at this early age, infants imitate some facial and hand gestures and found a clear association between infant behaviour and the behaviour modelled.
