Care giver infant interaction and role of dad

Question 1

Define attachment

Answer 1

Closed two way emotional bond between two individuals in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security.

Question 2

What behaviours can we see when someone is attached

Answer 2

Proximity=Stay physically close to attached figure
Separation distress= Distressed when attachment figure leaves their presence
Secure base behaviour= We make regular contact with the attachment figure

Question 3

What are the two care-giver infant interactions

Answer 3

Reciprocity

Interactional synchrony

Question 4

Reciprocity

Answer 4

Both infant and mother respond to each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the other

Question 5

Feldman and Eidelman

Answer 5

Babies have a periodic Alert phases and signals that they are ready for interaction. From around 3 months these interactions are more frequent.

Question 6

Brazelton et al (reciprocity)

Answer 6

Baby takes active role. Both mother and child can initiate interactions and they appear to do this in turns. They described this interaction as a couple’s dance where each partner responds to each other’s moves

Question 7

Interactional synchrony

Answer 7

Mother and infant reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and they do this in a co-ordinated way.

Question 8

Meltzoff and Moore

Answer 8

Observed IS in infants as two weeks old. An adult displayed one of three facial expressions or one of three distinctive gestures. The child’s response was filmed and identified by independent observers. There was association between expression the adult had displayed and the actions of the babies.

Question 9

Isabella et al

Answer 9

Observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed the degree of synchrony. Researchers also assesses the quality of mother-infant attachment. they found that high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother infant attachment

Question 10

Grossman

Answer 10

Studied the role of the father in a longitudinal study. They found that father attachment was less important than mother but they found that the fathers have a different role- More with play and stimulation and less with nurturing

Question 11

Field

Answer 11

Suggested that fathers can be primary carers. She filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interactions with primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers. She found that like mothers primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers. The key is the level of responsiveness and not the gender of the parent