caregiver-infant interactions

Question 1

reciprocity

Answer 1

• each person responds to another and elicits a response from them
• take turns to communicate like a conversation

Question 2

alert phases

Answer 2

when babies are ready for an interaction

Question 3

what did Feldman + Eidelman (2007) find about alert phases

Answer 3

mothers pick up and respond to phase 2/3 of time

Question 4

active involvement

Answer 4

caregiver + babies take it in turn to initiate interactions
interaction is a ‘dance’, respond to the other persons moves

Question 5

interactional synchrony

Answer 5

infant mirrors behaviour of parent
‘temporal coordination of micro-level social behaviour’

Question 6

Meltzoff + Moore - interactional synchrony

Answer 6

adult did 3 facial expressions to 2 weeks old
babies expression likely to mirror adults

Question 7

Isabella et al - interactional synchrony

Answer 7

observed 30 mothers + babies for degree of synchrony
found high synchrony associated with better quality attachment

Question 8

A03 - strength

Answer 8

• interactions normally filmed in a laboratory
• other activity that could distract a baby is controlled
• film means can be rewatched/analysed later, inter-rater reliability
• babies don’t know they are being observed so behaviour doesn’t change
• CA: filming means observer my not be there in person, might miss behaviour

Question 9

A03 - weakness

Answer 9

• hard to interpret a babies behaviour
• lack co-ordination + mostly immobile so recorded behaviour is small hand movements or subtle changes in expression
• hard to be sure if baby is smiling or passing wind, can’t interpret behaviour
• can’t be sure behaviour has meaning

Question 10

AO3 - strength + weakness

Answer 10

• practical value vs ethics
• practical application to parenting training
• Crotwell 2013: 10 minute PIC therapy improved interactional synchrony in 20 low income mothers/babies
• BUT socially sensitive
• discourages mothers to go back to work early after birth, gender stereotypes