Caregiver Infant Interactions Flashcards
What is attachment?
-A emotional link where they seek closeness with each other and feel secure in the presence of the attachment
-Interaction is where it starts
-The responsiveness of the caregiver to the infant signals has deep effects
What are 3 ways to measure Caregiver infant interactions?
-Secure base behaviour
-Proximity
-Separation distress
What is Secure base behaviour?
-Infants touch base with attachment figure
-Regularly return to them while playing
What Is proximity?
Infant tries to stay physically close with the attachment figure.
What is Separation distress?
Infant is distress when the attachment figure leaves there presence.
What are the two types of Caregiver infant interactions?
-Interactional Synchrony
-Reciprocity
What is Interactional Synchrony?
-respond in time to keep the communication going
-e.g the infant smiles and the caregiver smiles back at the same time
-emotions and action mirror each other
Which two psychologists investigated interactional synchrony?
Meltzoff and Moore
Explain Meltzoff and Moore’s study.
-controlled observation of 42 week old babies
-Adults display 3 different facial expressions/ distinctive gestures
-E.g mouth opening , tongue prostrution
-child response was filmed and identified by a independant observer
-link was found between the facial expressions and gestures
What is Reciprocity?
-two way mutual process
-take turns to respond to each others behaviour and gestures
-sustain a interaction
-behaviour of each party elicits a response
-e.g child puts arms out to be held caregiver picks up
Who did research on reciprocity?
Brazelton
Explain Brazleton’s Research?
-Both mother and infant initiatite interaction and take turns ‘dance’
-its like when a couple dance with each other and respond to each others moves
What are the Evaluations?
-Practical Application
-High control over extraneous Variables
-Lack ecological validity
Explain practical application as the evaluation.
-demonstrates how they interact
-+ the importance of the early interactions on later development
-can use info to encourage responsive caregivers
-to minimise issues they may have later
-important in applied psychology
Explain the Evaluation of High control over extraneous variables.
-takes place in controlled environment
-potential extraneous variables
-e.g not having other adults in the room as it can distract the infant
-this means cause and effect can be established
-increases internal validity
