Caregiver - Infant Interactions : Attachment Flashcards
Define the term attachment (2 marks)
Attachment is an emotional link between an infant and a caregiver, where both seek closeness and feel more secure when in the presence of the attachment figure. Interactions between an infant and a caregiver is where an attachment starts. It is the responsiveness of the caregiver to the infant’s signals that has a deep effect on the child.
How can we recognise an attachment? (AO1)
- Proximity : infants try to stay physically close to the caregiver
- Separation distress : infant distressed when caregiver leaves
- Secure base behaviour : infants touch base with caregiver regularly while playing
What is interactional synchrony? (AO1)
Where the caregiver and infant respond in time to keep communication going e.g. infant smiles and caregiver smiles back at the same time. This type of communication ensures the infant and caregiver’s emotions and actions mirror each other’s.
Summarise Meltzoff and Moore’s study into cg-infant interactions and specifically interactional synchrony (AO1)
- Controlled Obs
- 40 x 2-week old infants
- Measure caregiver-infant interactions
- Adult displayed one of 3 facial expressions e.g. tongue protrusion, mouth opening
- Child’s response filmed and identified by independent observer
- Link found between facial expression and response from infant
What is reciprocity? (AO1)
This is a two-way mutual process in which the infant and caregiver take turns to respond to each other’s behaviours/signals in order to sustain interaction. The behaviour of each party elicits a response from the other e.g. child puts arms out, cg picks up. Infants have ‘alert phases’ and signal when they are ready for interaction. Mothers pick up on and act on these signals 2/3rds of the time according to Feldman and Eidelman.
Brazelton said both mother and infant initiate the interaction and take it in turns to do so. He called this the dance and said its like two dancers responding to each other’s moves.
One potential criticism of the research into caregiver infant interactions is that much of the research lacks…
This is because the… takes place in… such as…
Therefore, it is difficult to… to… of… as…for example…
Therefore, lowering the… into…
One potential criticism of the research into cg infant interactions is that much of the research lacks ecological validity. This is because it takes place in a controlled environment such as a room under controlled observation and the interactions being filmed. Therefore, it is difficult to generalise the findings to real life examples of cg infant interactions as the infant may not behave as they normally would, for example they may interact with the caregiver more due to being in an unfamiliar environment and seeking comfort. Therefore, loweing the external validity of research into caregiver infant interactions.
Moreover, because the research takes place in… it can be praised for having…
A potential extraneous variable would be controlled would be… as…
This means… can be established in the interaction.
Thus, increasing…
Moreover, because the research into caregiver-infant interactions takes place ina controlled environment, the research can be praised for having high control over extraneous variables. A potential extraneous variable that could be controlled is not having other adults in the room as it may distract the child. This means cause and effect can be established in the interactions between infant and caregiver. Thus, increasing the internal validity of the research.
Despite there being some criticisms, research into… can be praised for…
Research into… has demonstrated how… and the importance of these interactions in …
Therefore psychologist can use this information to…and minimise…
This means the research into… is and important…
Despite there being some criticisms, research into caregiver-infant interactions can be praised for having practical applications. The research has demonstrated how caregivers and infants interact and the importance of these interactions in later life. Therefore, psychologists can use this information to encourage responsive caregivers and minimise and issues the child may face later in life. This means the research into caregiver infant interactions is an important part of applied psychology.
Outline Grossman’s research into the role of the father (AO1)
Aim: to investigate parent’s behaviour and its relationship to the quality of children’s attachment into their teens
Method: Longitudinal study
Finding 1: quality of infants’ attachment with mothers, but not fathers, was related to adolescent attachments
Conclusion: father attachment less important than mother
Finding 2: quality of father’s play related to adolescent attachments
Conclusion: fathers have a role to do with play and stimulation rather than nurturing
Outline Field’s study into the role of the father (AO1)
Aim: to investigate the role of the father in attachment
Method: controlled obs
Procedure: filmed 4 month old infants in face to face interactions with pcg mothers, pcg fathers, and scg fathers
Findings: pcg fathers spent more time smiling, like the mothers, and interacting than the scg fathers. This behaviour seems more important when forming an attachment.
Conclusion: fathers can play a nurturing role and take on a traditionaly maternal role. key to attachment being good is level of responsiveness not the gender of the parent
Field- prac apps peel
Field’s research into the role of the father can be praised for having practical applications. This is because the findings of his research, that responsivesness to the child’s needs, not gender, is most important when forming attachments, has been used to change policies. Shared Parental Leave 2014 allows mothers and fathers to share leave from work for their child within the first year, and this is useful in families where the father wants to take on the role of pcg and the mother wants to return to work. Therefore, research into the role of the father is an important part of applied psychology.
Biological basis - Grossman
ALternatively, it is argued there may be a biological basis to support grossmans findings that fathers adopt a secondary caregiver role. It could be that the femal hormones create higher levels of nurturing and therefore women are biologicall inclined to be the primary caregiver and attachment figure, whereas males do not produce as much oestrogen and produce more testosterone which is not associated with nurture. Therefore, there are several explanations to consider when investigating the role of the father.
