Caregiver-infant interactions Flashcards
What is reciprocity?
Interacting with a caregiver by responding to their actions with a similar/related action. It acts like a conversation where one action elicits a response from the other.
What is interactional synchrony?
Interacting with a caregiver by mirroring what they are doing (facial and body movements). Involves two people moving in the same pattern. Can be emotional or behavioural.
Define attachment.
Emotional bond between two people. Two-way process that endures over time. It leads to certain behaviors and serves to protect the infant.
Outline procedure of Meltzoff and Moore’s study into interactional synchrony.
Adult model displayed specific hand or facial movements to 2-3 week old infants. Dummy placed in infant’s mouth then removed after modelling. Response expression filmed.
Outline findings of Meltzoff and Moore’s study into interactional synchrony.
Association found between infant behavior and adult model. Shows 2-3 week olds imitate specific behaviors - suggesting interactional synchrony exists.
(A03) Explain why Meltzoff and Moore’s observation is high in internal reliability.
Videos judged by independent observers. No knowledge of what infant had been shown (no observer bias - validity). Note all instances of 3 behavioural categories. Inter- and intra- observer reliability scores >.92
(A03) Why is infant behaviour (facial expressions) difficult to observe and measure.
Infants’ mouths in constant motion. Difficult to distinguish between measured expressions. Lack of reliability. Observers may have guessed aims and have bias - lack of validity.
(AO3) What is the value of the Meltzoff and Moore research?
Meltzoff developed hypothesis of infant development. Imitating acts allows infants to begin to develop understanding of behaviour. Fundamental for secure relationships.
(AO3) Identify another weakness of Meltzoff and Moore’s research.
Individual differences. Interactional synchrony varied with attachment type. Cause + effect?
