A- Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony

Question 1

What is attachment?

Answer 1

Attachment is an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one.

Question 2

What is reciprocity?

Answer 2

Reciprocity is an interaction when each person responds to the other and elicits a response from them.

Question 3

Why is the basic rhythm in reciprocity important? (Brazelton)

Answer 3

• Brazelton (1979) suggested that the basic rhythm is an important precursor to later communications.
• The regularity of an infant’s signals allows a caregiver to anticipate the infants behaviour and respond appropriately.
• The sensitivity to infant behaviour lays the foundation for later attachment between caregiver and infant.

Question 4

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 4

• Interactional synchrony is the co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour.
• It is a reflection of what the other is doing; mother and infant reflect both the actions and emotions of the other in a co-ordinated way.

Question 5

Describe Meltzoff and Moore’s study in investigating interactional synchrony.

Answer 5

• Meltzoff and Moore used a controlled observation where they selected four different stimuli and observed the behaviour of infants in response.
• The study was conducted using an adult model who displayed one of three facial expressions or hand movements where the fingers moved in sequence.
• A dummy was placed in the infant’s mouth during the initial display to prevent any response.
• Following the display the dummy was removed and the child’s expression was filmed on video.
• To record observations an observer watched videotapes of the infant’s behaviour in real time, slow motion and frame by frame if necessary.
• This video was then judged by independent observers who had no knowledge of what the infant had just seen.
• Behavioural categories were:
  1) Mouth opening
  2) Termination of mouth opening
  3) Tongue protrusion
  4) Termination of tongue protrusion

Question 6

Describe the findings of Meltzoff and Moore’s study in investigating interactional synchrony.

Answer 6

• They found that. infants as young as two to three weeks old, imitated specific facial gestures and that there was an association between the infant behaviour and that of the adult model.
• In a later study Meltzoff and Moore demonstrated the same synchrony with infants only three days old.
• Since infants this young are copying facial expressions is suggesting that interactional synchrony is likely to be innate (inborn or nature) rather than learned.

Question 7

Evaluation of Caregiver-infant interactions through reciprocity and interactional synchrony. (DISADVANTAGES)

Answer 7

1) PROBLEMS WITH TESTING BEHAVIOUR
- There is doubt on the findings of infant behaviour studies (such as the study conducted by Meltzoff and Moore) because it is difficult to reliably test their behaviour.
- Infants mouths are in fairly constant motion and the expressions that are tested occur frequently e.g. tongue sticking out, yawning, smiling etc.
- This makes it difficult to distinguish between general activity and specific imitated behaviours.
- However, to overcome these problems, Meltzoff and Moore asked an independent judge to view the babies tapes without knowledge of what the infant had seen.
- This research therefore highlights the difficulties in testing infant behaviour, but also suggests one way of increasing the internal validity of the data.

2) INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
- When studying interactional synchrony, there is some variation between infants behaviour.
- For example, Isabella et al (1989) found that more strongly attached infant-caregiver pairs showed greater interactional synchrony.
- Heimann (1989) showed that infants who demonstrate a lot of imitation from birth onwards have been found to have better quality relationships at three months although there is a problem of cause and effect here in terms of whether it is the imitation which leads to interactional synchrony which then leads to better quality relationships or is there other factors involved?

Question 8

Evaluation of Caregiver-infant interactions through reciprocity and interactional synchrony. (ADVANTAGES)

Answer 8

1) THE VALUE OF RESEARCH
- The importance of studying caregiver- infant interactions such as interactional synchrony and reciprocity is that it shows how if forms the basis for social development.
- Meltzoff (2005) developed a hypothesis of infant development based on his research on interactional synchrony – and from this the baby associates their imitation with feelings and thoughts of others and ultimately understands how others think and feel.
- Therefore a strength of this research is that it explains how children begin to develop a theory of mind and are thus able to conduct relationships.