Attachment - start of

Question 1

What is Attachment?

Answer 1

A close two-way emotional bond between 2 people in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security.
* Proximity
* Separation distress
* Secure-base behaviour

Question 2

Caregiver-Infant Interactions

Answer 2

 Reciprocity: infant and caregiver respond to each other’s signals which elicits a response from the other.
 Alert phases: baby signal when they want to interact.
 Active involvement: both initiate each other in a dance between the two.

Question 3

Research: Reciprocity

Answer 3

 Feldman and Eidelman (2007): mothers pick up on & respond to infants’ alertness 75% of the time.
 Feldman (2007): interaction between mother and infant becomes increasingly frequent and relies on verbal & facial signals.
 Brazleton et al. (1975): challenged the traditional view of babies being passive and describes mum-baby interaction as a ‘dance’, where each partner responds to each other’s moves.

Question 4

Interactional Synchrony

Answer 4

 Mother and infant reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a coordinated, synchronized way.

Question 5

Observational study on interactional synchrony:

Answer 5

 A confederate of the study takes his girlfriend out for dinner and another set of 2 confederates sit on the opposite table observing with a pen and pad while pretending to play a game.
 Get the confederate to crack jokes, smile a lot and make a lot of conversation while the others observe the number of times the girlfriend responds/smiles/laughs etc.
 Experiment takes place in a public restaurant as it is natural, and it gives the study ecological validity.

Question 6

Interactional Synchrony (continued)

Answer 6

• Meltzoff and Moore (1977): interactional synchrony observed in infants as young as 2 weeks old. Study started out with an adult displaying one of three facial expressions or one of three distinctive gestures. The child’s response was filmed and identified by independent observers. An association was found between the expression or gesture the adult had displayed and the actions of the babies.
• Isabella et al. (1989): observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed degree or synchrony and found that it was important for the development of attachment.

Question 7

Evaluation

Answer 7

 Those studies utilize inter-rater reliability have greater reliability in their observations.
 There is a problem with the potential validity of observations because we may not be able to interpret a baby’s behavior.
 Even if we can conduct an observation in a reliable and valid manner, it might be that we cannot extrapolate the behaviour of a baby, to that person’s future behaviour.

Question 8

• Caregiver interactions: summary

Answer 8

• Reciprocity: infant and caregiver respond to each other’s signals which elicits a response from the other.
• Interactional synchrony: infant and caregiver reflect actions and emotions in a synchronised and coordinated manner.

Question 9

Reciprocity:

Answer 9

infant and caregiver respond to each other’s signals which elicits a response from the other.

Question 10

• Interactional synchrony:

Answer 10

infant and caregiver reflect actions and emotions in a synchronised and coordinated manner.

Question 11

 Brazleton et al. (1975):

Answer 11

challenged the traditional view of babies being passive and describes mum-baby interaction as a ‘dance’, where each partner responds to each other’s moves.

Question 12

Feldman (2007):

Answer 12

interaction between mother and infant becomes increasingly frequent and relies on verbal & facial signals.

Question 13

Feldman and Eidelman (2007):

Answer 13

mothers pick up on & respond to infants’ alertness 75% of the time.

Question 14

Meltzoff and Moore (1977):

Answer 14

interactional synchrony observed in infants as young as 2 weeks old. Study started out with an adult displaying one of three facial expressions or one of three distinctive gestures. The child’s response was filmed and identified by independent observers. An association was found between the expression or gesture the adult had displayed and the actions of the babies.

Question 15

Isabella et al. (1989)

Answer 15

observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed degree or synchrony and found that it was important for the development of attachment.