Attachment - Caregiver-Infant Interactions in Humans

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

A close two-way emotional bond between 2 individuals where each individual feels more secure when they’re with their counterpart

Question 2

What long does an attachment take to develop?

Answer 2

A few months

Question 3

Proximity

Answer 3

People stay physically close to the person they are attached to

Question 4

Separation distress

Answer 4

Individual becomes distressed when attachment figure leaves

Question 5

Secure base behaviour

Answer 5

Return to attachment figure for comfort after exploring environment

Question 6

What type of interactions do babies have with their carers from an early age?

Answer 6

Meaningful interactions

Question 7

Who are interactions between babies and their parents lead by?

Answer 7

Babies

Question 8

What are the two important building blocks for attachment?

Answer 8

Reciprocity and interactional synchrony

Question 9

Definition of reciprocity

Answer 9

Reciprocity is where an infant responds to the actions of another person. With reciprocity the actions of one person (e.g. the mother) elicits a response from the other (e.g. the infant).

Question 10

Who are the active contributors in reciprocity?

Answer 10

Infant and caregiver are both active contributors

Question 11

What does reciprocity help to facilitate?

Answer 11

An attachment

Question 12

How did Tronik et al research reciprocity?

Answer 12

1. He asked mothers to stop moving with no expression after enjoying dialogue with their baby.
2. Babies would try to tempt their mother into interaction by smiling
3. After no response from mother, babies become puzzled and distressed as their smile didn’t bring about usual response

Question 13

Definition of interactional synchrony

Answer 13

Where an infant mirrors the actions of another person, for example, their facial expressions and body movements - moving their body in tune with the rhythm of their carer

Question 14

What does interactional synchrony do for attachment?

Answer 14

It lays down the foundation for attachment to form

Question 15

What is rhythmic interaction?

Answer 15

Infant and caregiver’s behaviours are synchronised

Question 16

What did Condon and Sander investigate?

Answer 16

Interactions between infants and caregivers in response to adult speech

Question 17

Results of Condon and Sander’s investigation

Answer 17

Infants tried to replicate adult speech

Question 18

How did Meltzoff and Moore find out that the ability to mirror is an innate behaviour?

Answer 18

1. Adult model displayed one of three facial expressions whilst a dummy was in the babies mouth to stop them immediately responding.
2. Once dummy was removed infants imitated facial expressions of adults

Question 19

Advantages of caregiver interactions

Answer 19

-Provides evidence for importance of having attachments
-Well-controlled procedures
-Socially desirable feedback cannot be given.

Question 20

Negative evaluation of caregiver interactions

Answer 20

-Piaget claims that true imitation only develops towards the end of the first year of the child’s life
-Possibility that babies replication is coincidental
-Babies cannot give consent

Question 21

Example of an mother showing reciprocity

Answer 21

Baby smiles and her mother smiles back

Question 22

All research into this topics

Answer 22

Condon and Sander - adult speech
Tronik et al - reciprocity (stopping after enjoying dialogue)
Meltzoff and Moore - facial expressions repeated (interactional synchrony)