Attachment

Question 1

what is reciprocity?

Answer 1

how two people interact. Mothers and their infants interactions are reciprocal as they respond to each other.

Question 2

what is interactional synchrony?

Answer 2

mother and infant reflect each others actions and emotions and in a coordinated way.

Question 3

reciprocity in babies

Answer 3

babies have alert phases signalling they are ready for interaction, mothers respond to this. From around 3 months this is a lot more frequent and is more closely centred to each others verbal and facial expressions.

Question 4

what is the parent-infant attachment?

Answer 4

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found babies are attached to their mum within 7 months and after that make secondary attachments with other family members.

Question 5

what is the role of a father?

Answer 5

fathers have a different role in attachment which is more to do with play and stimulation and less with nurturing

Question 6

fathers as primary carers

Answer 6

Tiffany Field (1978) did an experiment with 4 month old babies, primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers. Pcg fathers like mothers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding compared to scg fathers. The key to attachment is level of responsiveness not gender.