Caregiver-infant Interaction

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

Attachment is a reciprocal emotional bond between the infant and the caregiver in which each individual sees the other as essential for their emotional security.
This is displayed through mutual affection, frequent interaction, and desire for proximity

Question 2

Reciprocity

Answer 2

Reciprocity refers to a two-way interaction between a caregiver and infant in which they take turns to respond to each other’s behaviours/signals in a meaningful way, in order to sustain an interaction. The behaviour of each party elicits a response from the other.

Question 3

Reciprocity examples

Answer 3

• baby stretches its arms, the mother picks up the baby
• the mother smiles back when the baby smiles.

Question 4

Brezelton et al

Answer 4

Brezelton suggests that reciprocity is like a dance. Couples respond to each other’s movements and rhythm when dancing. Similarly in caregiver-infant interactions the interaction flows back and forth as they respond to eachother.

Question 5

Feldman

Answer 5

Feldman (2007), reciprocity increases in frequency as the infant and caregiver pay increasing attention to each other’s verbal and facial communications. It is suggested that showing this sensitive responsiveness, in which the caregiver pays attention sensitively towards the infant’s behaviour, will lay the strong foundations for attachment to develop later between the caregiver and infant.

Question 6

Belsky et al

Answer 6

Belsky et al. found that at the age of 12 months, the infant’s attachment to the mother was assessed using the ‘Strange Situation’ technique. Belsky found that if the mothers demonstrated more reciprocal interactions, the infants were more securely attached to their mothers, compared to infants
with low levels of reciprocal interactions with their mother, who tended to have an insecure attachment.

Question 7

Interactional synchrony

Answer 7

Interactional synchrony is when the caregiver and infant mirrors (imitates) what the other is doing in terms of their facial expressions and behaviour.

Question 8

Interactional synchrony examples

Answer 8

baby moving her head in time with her mother or the mother imitating the sounds the baby makes.

Question 9

Meltzoff and Moore

Answer 9

Meltzoff and Moore (1977) Controlled observational study of interactional synchrony in infants as young as two weeks old. An adult model displayed one of three facial expressions or gestures. Following the display, the infant’s
responses were filmed. Infants as young as 2 weeks old were able to mirror the movements This suggests that an infant’s imitation may indicate an innate ability (rather than learned) to aid the formation of attachment.

Question 10

+ AO3 for synchrony/reciprocity

Answer 10

A strength of the research into early caregiver-infant interactions is that it uses well-controlled procedures. Mother-infant interactions are usually filmed, often from multiple angles, which means that very fine details of behaviour can be recorded and analysed later
by psychologists. This allows valid conclusions to be drawn because inter-rater reliability can be established by having independent observers re-watch the tapes and compare their findings to see if they were similar and thus reliable.

Question 11

• AO3 for synchrony/recprocity

Answer 11

Purpose of synchrony

Question 12

• AO3 for synchrony/reciprocity

Answer 12

Infant behaviour