Caregiver-Infant interactions

Question 1

Reciprocity

Answer 1

caregiver and infant respond to each other and elicit responses from the other

Question 2

Alert phases

Answer 2

• periodic phases in which they signal e.g. eye contact, that they are ready for interaction
• mothers recognise this 2/3 of the time
• becomes increasingly frequent

Question 3

Active involvement

Answer 3

• traditional views portray infants as passive receiving care from an adult
• both caregiver and infants take turns to initiate reactions like a dance
• infants take an active role

Question 4

Interactional synchrony

Answer 4

‘temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour’
- reflect both actions and emotions of each other in a synchronised way

Question 5

Procedure MM

Answer 5

• Meltzoff and Moore
• infants 2w+
• adult displayed 1/3 distinctive gestures and infants response was filmed by independent observers
• significant association between adult and infants expression/gesture

Question 6

Procedure I

Answer 6

• Isabella
• observed 30 infant/mothers
• assessed degree of synchrony and quality of attachment
• high levels of synchrony associated with better attachment

Question 7

Filmed observation

Answer 7

• can control for infant distractions
• recording can be analysed so unlikely key behaviours are missed
• can establish inter-rater reliability
• infants are not aware of observation so behaviour is natural
• high reliability and validity

Question 8

Age

Answer 8

• infants lack co-ordination/immobile
• observed behaviours are subtle
• difficult to tell whether gestures are random or triggered by adult

Question 9

Development

Answer 9

• Synchrony and reciprocity are names for observable behaviours
• can be reliably observed
• not particularly useful in understanding child development
• doesn’t tell us the purpose

HOWEVER

• Isabella: synchrony is predicted good quality attachment

Question 10

Socially sensitive

Answer 10

• Could be used to argue mothers returning to work soon after birth could damage infant development and reduce attachment quality

Question 11

Mnemonic

Answer 11

Four
Angry
Dogs
Snarl

Question 12

Four
Angry
Dogs
Snarl

Answer 12

Filmed observation
Age
Developmental importance
Socially sensitive