Attachment : Caregiver-infant Interaction

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

Close two-way emotional bond between 2 individuals where each sees the other as essential for their own emotional security

Question 2

Seperation Distress

Answer 2

Signs of anxiety when attachment figure leaves

Question 3

Proximity

Answer 3

People stay physically close to attachment figure

Question 4

Secure-base Behaviour

Answer 4

Even when we are independent from attachment, we keep regular contact with them
E.g. babies regularly return to attachment figure while playing

Question 5

Reciprocity

Answer 5

Each person responds to the other and elicits a response from them
E.g. caregiver responds to baby’s smile by saying something –> elicits response from baby
Also called ‘turn taking’ –> essential in conversation

Question 6

Alert phrases

Answer 6

Babies have these periodically e.g. eye contact when ready for interaction

Feldman + Eidelman (2007) - mothers tend to pick up on and respond to baby 2/3 of the time

Around 3 months, interactions get more frequent, involving mother + baby paying attention to each other’s verbal signals + facial expressions

Question 7

Active involvement

Answer 7

Babies + caregiver take am active role intiating interactions and take turns doing so –> contrary to traditional views of childhood where babies passively recieving care from an adult

Brazelton et al (1975) - described it as a ‘dance’ where each partner responds to others’ moves

Question 8

Interactional Synchroncity

Answer 8

The temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour –> they carry out the same action simultanenously

Takes place when caregiver + baby interact with actions + emotions mirror each other

Question 9

Synchrony begins

Answer 9

Melfzoff + Moore (1977) - observed this starts as early as 2 weeks old

• -> When an adult displayed 1 of 3 facial expressions / distinctive gestures
• -> baby’s response was filmed + labelled
• -> more likely mirror adults more than chance prediction

Question 10

Importance for attachment

Answer 10

isabella et al (1989) - observed 30 mothers + babies and assessed degree of synchroncy + quality of attachment

–> Found high levels of synchroncy was associated with better quality mother-baby attachment (e.g. emotional intensity)

Question 11

Ev