Caregiver-infant Interactions

Question 1

Define attachment

Answer 1

A close two way emotional bond between two individuals who depend on each other for security.

Question 2

What are the 2 caregiver-infant interactions in humans?

Answer 2

Reciprocity and interactional synchrony

Question 3

What is reciprocity?

Answer 3

A description of how 2 people interact - both baby and caregiver respond to each others signals and each elicit a response from the other.

Question 4

When is an action said to show reciprocity?

Answer 4

When each person responds to the other and elicit a response from them.

Question 5

Give an example of reciprocity

Answer 5

A caregiver might respond to his baby’s smile by saying something and then this elicits a response from his baby.

Question 6

What are these interactions sometimes called?

Answer 6

Turn taking. It is an essential part of any conversation, otherwise people will talk over each other.

Question 7

What happens in alert phases?

Answer 7

Babies signal that they are ready for a spell of interaction.

Question 8

What does research by Feldman and Eidelmen show?

Answer 8

mothers typically pick up on and respond to the baby’s alertness 2/3 of the time

Question 9

However what does Finegood say?

Answer 9

This varies according to the skill of the mother and external factors such as stress.

Question 10

What does Feldman say about alert phases?

Answer 10

From around 3 months this interaction tends to become increasingly frequent and involves both mother and baby paying close attention to each other’s verbal signals and facial expressions.

Question 11

Describe active involvement

Answer 11

Babies as well as caregivers take an active role. Both caregiver and baby can initiate interactions and they appear to take turns doing so.

Question 12

What does Brazelton et al describe this interaction as?

Answer 12

A “dance” because it’s just like a couple’s dance where each partner responds to the other persons moves.

Question 13

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 13

caregiver and baby reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated (synchronised) way

Question 14

When are 2 people said to be synchronised?

Answer 14

When they carry out the same action simultaneously.

Question 15

What does Feldman define interactional synchrony as?

Answer 15

“The temporal co-ordination of microlevel social behaviour”

Question 16

When does interactional synchrony take place?

Answer 16

When caregiver and baby interact in such a way that their actions and emotions mirror the other.

Question 17

Who studies the beginning of synchrony?

Answer 17

Andrew Meltzoff and Keith Moore

Question 18

What did Andrew Meltzoff and Keith Moore do?

Answer 18

Observe the beginning of interactional synchrony in babies as young as 2 weeks old.

An adult displayed 1 of 3 facial expressions or 1 of 3 distinctive features. The baby’s response was filmed and labelled by independent observers.

Question 19

What did Andrew Meltzoff and Keith Moore find?

Answer 19

Baby’s expression and gestures were more likely to mirror those of the adults more than chance would predict i.e. if there was a significant association.

Question 20

What did Isabella et al do?

Answer 20

Observed 30 mothers and babies together and assess the degree of synchrony. It also assesses the quality of mother - baby attachment.

Question 21

What did Isabella et al find?

Answer 21

High levels of synchrony associated with better quality mother - baby attachment (e.g. the emotional intensity of the relationship.)

Question 22

What is believed about interactional synchrony?

Answer 22

It is important for the development of caregiver-infant interaction.