Caregiver infant interactions

Question 1

What is Attatchment?

Answer 1

• deep lasting emotional bonds
• both members seek closure and feel more secure when close
• strength of bonds can be seen in caregiverinfant interactions

Question 2

what are caregiver infant interactions?

Answer 2

• reciprocity
• interactional synchrony

Question 3

what is reciprocity?

Answer 3

• mutual turn taking form
• care giver and infant contribute to the interaction
• respond to the others signals and cues

Question 4

what is interactional synchrony?

Answer 4

• simultaneous interaction between the infant and caregiver
• appear to be acting rhythmically
• matching coordinated behaviour
• matching emotional states

Question 5

what is imitation?

Answer 5

• infant directly copies the caregivers expression

Question 6

what is sensitive responsiveness?

Answer 6

• adult correctly interprets the meaning of the infants communication
• motivated to respond appropriately

Question 7

what is child-directed speech (CDS)?

Answer 7

• baby talk
• adult speaks in “sing song” tone
• modulate their voice by slowing it down and raising the pitch
• this helps keep the baby’s attention

Question 8

what is body contact?

Answer 8

• physical contact especially skin to skin
• necessary for bonding
• especially in first few hours of life

Question 9

Evaluations of caregiver infant interactions: Strenghts, Meltstoff and Moore facial gestures

Answer 9

• showed facial gestures to 12-21 day old infants
• recordings of infants responses rated by people blind to study
• infants responses matched that of the researchers face
• reciprocate through imitation at early age

Question 10

Evaluation of caregiver interactions, strength : Condon and Sander, video interactions

Answer 10

• videod interactions between adults and neonates
• focus on neonates movement in response to to adult speech
• evidence of interactional synchrony
• from birth, we have innate ability for social interaction

Question 11

Evaluation of caregiver interactions: strength, inter rate reliability

Answer 11

• use multiple observers blind to studies try aims= interest rater reliability
• use cameras to slow down study and show small interactions
• high control= high internal validity

Question 12

Evaluation of caregiver infant interactions: limitations, making inferences

Answer 12

• can’t communicate thoughts or emotions
• research depends on inferences
• assumptions made could be mistaken
• shouldn’t assume the imitation is intentional
• could be automatic reflex response

Question 13

Evaluation of caregiver infant interactions: limitations, social sensitivity

Answer 13

• this is a concern when studying childbearing techniques
• some women’s life choices criticised
• e.g. women who return to work quickly and can’t form interactional synchrony with their child

Question 14

What are the stages of attatchment by Schaffer?

Answer 14

• Stage 1: Asocial
• Stage 2: Indiscriminate attatchment
• Stage 3: Specific attatchment
• Stage 4: Multiple attatchment

Question 15

Stage 1 of Schaffers attatchment: Asocial

Answer 15

• 0-6 weeks
• ensure innate behaviour that ensure proximity to the caregiver
• limited perceptual ability
• so also display to non-human objects
• anyone can comfort them

Question 16

Stage 2 of Schaffer’s attatchment: Indiscriminate attatchment

Answer 16

• 6 weeks- 7 months
• tell the difference between humans and objects
• tell the difference between familiar and unfamiliar people
• DONT show stranger anxiety
• DONT show separation anxiety

Question 17

Stage 3 of Schaffers attatchment: Specific attatchment

Answer 17

• 7-9 months
• strong attatchment to primary care giver
• develop stranger anxiety
• develop separation anxiety

Question 18

Stage 4 of Schaffers attatchment: Multiple attatchment

Answer 18

• 9/10+ months
• starts to form attatchment to other regular caregivers
• stranger anxiety starts to decrease

Question 19

Schaffer and Emerson research (1964) on attatchment: procedure

Answer 19

• 60 working class babies + families studied
• 1st year data= observations + interviews
• follow up visit at 18 mnths
• assed stranger and separation anxiety
• discomfort when left w researcher
• discomfort when primary caregiver left the room

Question 20

Schaffer and Emerson research (1964) on attatchment: findings

Answer 20

• seperarion anxiety started for most at 25-32 weeks
• stranger distress 1 month later
• 18 month later= 87% developed multiple attachments
• strongest was those w consistent caregivers + consistent caregiver infant interactions
• occurs in stages as suggested

Question 21

Evaluating Schaffer and Emerson’s research: limitation, generalisability

Answer 21

• not be generalisable
• included working class mums from glasgow in 1960
• culture not representative of most of UK
• lack temporal validity
• childbearing has changed in 60 years

Question 22

Evaluations of Schaffer and Emerson’s research: strengths, high mundane realism

Answer 22

• families observed in their own homes= mundane realism
• experience for the infant was normal
• caregiver leaving and stranger being there= normal
• behaviour recorded was normal

Question 23

Schaffers theory on the role of the father:

Answer 23

• most primary attatchment figures were their mothers
• 30% both and 3% fathers
• at 18 mnths 75% had formed attatchments w father
• showed separation anxiety
• fathers play important role in infants lives

Question 24

The role of the father- the importance of action play:

Answer 24

• father engage in active “play” activities more consistently than mothers
• fathers situations emphasise stimulation
• role is to encourage risk taking behaviours
• compared to more comfortable mothers

Question 25

the role of the father- as a primary care giver:

Answer 25

- modern western society= mothers more likely to be in the workplace - evidence shows if men are primary care giver, their interaction style changes to be more like mothers - increasing their capacity for sensitive responsiveness

Question 26

Evaluative research of the role of the father: strength, Field (1978) observed fathers game playing

Answer 26

- observed 1 caregiver mums and dads + 2nd caregiver dads interacting w 4 mnth infants - fathers focussed more on game playing - 1 caregiver dads gave more sensitively responsive behaviours like mums

Question 27

Evaluative research of the role of the father: strength, Verissimo (2011) observed pre schooo kids

Answer 27

- observed pre school kids w mothers and fathers - follow up assessment of kids when they started nursery - strong attatchment to father was best predictor of making friends at school - fathers important in socialisation

Question 28

Evaluations of the role of the father: limitation/ strength, socially sensitive but can also help

Answer 28

- research is socially sensitive - suggesting the role of the mother can’t be done by the father - father led or double father families may feel they can’t fulfill the needs of their infant - research showing they can do the role of the mother may make them be more active

Question 29

Evaluations of the role of the father: strength, economic implications but help w gender pay gap

Answer 29

- economic implications= lead to legislation that ensures equal maternity and paternity leave - reduce males in workforce - reduce economy activity - equalising this could help gender pay gap - which is bc mothers leave to care for kids