Attachment - Psychology of attachment: Caregiver-Infant interactions Flashcards
Introduction to Attachment
- An emotional bond between two people
- Formed in the first years of life between infant and caregiver
- Shaped how we view ourselves and the world
Signs of attachment
Proximity: Trying to stay physically close
Separation distress: Upset when attachment figure leaves
Secure base behaviour: Returning to caregiver while exloring
Early social interactions
- Babies have meaningful social interactions from birth
- Can imitate facial expressions as young as 2 weeks
- Imitation helps form social bonds
Reciprocity in interactions
- Mutual exchange of responses between infant and caregiver
- Back-and-forth pattern of communication
- E.G. Baby smiles, parent smiles back
Interactional synchrony
- Coordinated timing of behaviours between infant and caregiver
- Similarity in expressions and movements
- Created emotional connection and shared understanding
Still face experiment
-Mother suddenly stops responding to baby
- Baby tries to re-engage, then becomes distressed
- Demonstrates importance of reciprocal interactions
Long-term effects of synchrony
-Higher synchrony associated with secure attachment
- Lower synchrony linked to insecure attachment
- Quality of early interactions predict later attachment
Strengths of attachment research
-Highly controlled observations
- Use of technology to capture micro-behaviours
- No demand characteristics in infants
Challenges in studying infant behaviour
-Difficulty determining infant’s intentions
-Potential for observer bias
-Practical issues (sleeping, feeding, crying)
Practical applications
- Emphasises importance of responsive caregiving
- Encourages social interaction with infants
- Highlights benefits for empathy and language development
Social sensitivity of research
-May create pressure on mothers not to work
- Could lead to guilt for mothers with multiple children
- Importance of considering social implications of research
