3.2 Caregiver-infant interactions

Question 1

What is one key reaction between caregivers and infants?

Answer 1

Their non-verbal communication, i.e communicating without words and sometimes without sounds.
Such interactions may form the basis of attachment between an infant and caregiver.

Question 2

What is reciprocity?

Answer 2

Caregiver-infant interactions are reciprocal in that both caregiver and baby respond to each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the other.
It is a two-way or mutual process - each party responds to the other’s signals to sustain (continue) the interaction (turn-taking).

Question 3

What is an example of reciprocity?

Answer 3

Infant puts hands up, adult responds by picking up infant.

Question 4

What are babies alert phases?

Answer 4

When they signal (e.g by making eye contact) that they are reading for a spell of interaction.

Question 5

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 5

Caregiver and baby reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated (synchronised) way.
Infants move their bodies in turn with the rhythm of carers’ spoken language to mirror what the other is doing in terms of their facial expressions and body movement.

Question 6

What does interactional synchrony include?

Answer 6

Imitating emotions as well as behaviours. This is different to reciprocity as in reciprocity the responses aren’t necessarily similar.

Question 7

What role does interactional synchrony and reciprocity play in attachment?

Answer 7

They are thought to be involved in developing and maintaining the attachment.