Caregiver-infant Interactions Flashcards
Define attachment
A close two way emotional bond between two individuals who depend on each other for security.
What are the 2 caregiver-infant interactions in humans?
Reciprocity and interactional synchrony
What is reciprocity?
A description of how 2 people interact - both baby and caregiver respond to each others signals and each elicit a response from the other.
When is an action said to show reciprocity?
When each person responds to the other and elicit a response from them.
Give an example of reciprocity
A caregiver might respond to his baby’s smile by saying something and then this elicits a response from his baby.
What are these interactions sometimes called?
Turn taking. It is an essential part of any conversation, otherwise people will talk over each other.
What happens in alert phases?
Babies signal that they are ready for a spell of interaction.
What does research by Feldman and Eidelmen show?
mothers typically pick up on and respond to the baby’s alertness 2/3 of the time
However what does Finegood say?
This varies according to the skill of the mother and external factors such as stress.
What does Feldman say about alert phases?
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.
Describe active involvement
Babies as well as caregivers take an active role. Both caregiver and baby can initiate interactions and they appear to take turns doing so.
What does Brazelton et al describe this interaction as?
A “dance” because it’s just like a couple’s dance where each partner responds to the other persons moves.
What is interactional synchrony?
caregiver and baby reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated (synchronised) way
When are 2 people said to be synchronised?
When they carry out the same action simultaneously.
What does Feldman define interactional synchrony as?
“The temporal co-ordination of microlevel social behaviour”
When does interactional synchrony take place?
When caregiver and baby interact in such a way that their actions and emotions mirror the other.
Who studies the beginning of synchrony?
Andrew Meltzoff and Keith Moore
What did Andrew Meltzoff and Keith Moore do?
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.
What did Andrew Meltzoff and Keith Moore find?
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.
What did Isabella et al do?
Observed 30 mothers and babies together and assess the degree of synchrony. It also assesses the quality of mother - baby attachment.
What did Isabella et al find?
High levels of synchrony associated with better quality mother - baby attachment (e.g. the emotional intensity of the relationship.)
What is believed about interactional synchrony?
It is important for the development of caregiver-infant interaction.
