Caregiver-infant Interactions Content

Question 1

What provides emotional security in attachment?

Answer 1

As a safe, secure, protected base from a primary caregiver: this is needed for the child to explore and attachments to even possibly occur

Question 2

What is bonding?

Answer 2

Skin-to-skin contact in early stages of life (DIFFERENT to attachment)

Question 3

What is attachment?

Answer 3

A close two-way emotional bond, usually between an infant and primary caregiver where each person feels more emotionally secure when with each other

Question 4

What are the three attachment behaviours and explain them?

Answer 4

1. Proximity: people try to stay physically close to who they’re attached to
2. Separation anxiety: feelings of distress when attachment figure leaves
3. Secure-base behaviour: can explore environment as the child feels secure, but regularly returns to the attachment figure for comfort.

Question 5

Where does the basis of attachment between infant and primary caregiver come from?

Answer 5

Reciprocity and interactional synchrony

Question 6

Where did research for reciprocity come from?

Answer 6

1970s such as Jaffe et al, demonstrated that infants coordinated their actions with caregiver in a conversation-like manner

Question 7

What is reciprocity?

Answer 7

Interaction of infant and caregiver where one responds to the action/signal of the other with a similar action, like a conversation, where the actions of one figure produces a response from the other. The responses aren’t necessarily similar as in interactional synchrony. Both the infant and caregiver are equally active contributors in reciprocity

Question 8

What did Brazleton suggest about reciprocity in 1979?

Answer 8

The basic rhythm of reciprocity is important for later communications as the regularity of an infant’s signals allow’s the caregiver to anticipate the infant’s needs and respond accordingly

Question 9

What are the 2 phases of reciprocity?

Answer 9

Alert phases: the baby signals they are ready for interaction
Caregiver response: primary caregivers pick up on these signals and respond to the infant alertness

Question 10

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 10

Two people simultaneously interacting when the caregiver-infant interaction mirrors one another at the same time. This includes imitating emotions as well as behaviours such as facial expressions