Caregiver Infant Interactions in humans: Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony

Question 1

Define the term attachment

Answer 1

• attachment starts when there is interactions bw infant and caregiver
• an emotional link bw infant and caregiver
• each seek closeness and feel more secure in presence of attachment figure
• it is the responsiveness of cg to infants signals is what has a deep effect on child

Question 2

How do researchers recognize an infant has an attachment?

Answer 2

Proximity
Seperation distress
Secure base bhv

Question 3

Outline what is meant by proximity in recognising if an infant has an attachment?

Answer 3

infants try to stay physically close to who theyre attached to

Question 4

Outline what is meant by seperation distress in recognising if an infant has an attachment?

Answer 4

infants are distressed when an attachment figure leaves their presence

Question 5

Outline what is meant by secure base bhv in recognising if an infant has an attachment?

Answer 5

infants always ‘touch base’ and reguaraly return to attachment figure

Question 6

What are the two caregiver - infant interactions called?

Answer 6

• interactional synchrony
• reciprocity

Question 7

Describe what is meant by interactional synchrony?

Answer 7

• caregiver and infant respond in time to keep communication going ensuring their emotions and actions mirror eachother
• e.g. infant smiles, cg smiles back at same time

Question 8

What is the research that is part of the AO1 for interactional synchrony but can also be used as RTS?

Answer 8

• meltzoff and moore conducted a controlled obsv of 40 infants to measure cg - infant interactions
• an adult displayed a facial expression or gesture such as mouth opening and the childs response was filmed and identified by an independent observer
• a link was found bw facial expression/gesture of adult and response of infant

Question 9

Describe what is meant by reciprocity?

Answer 9

• two way, mutual process where infant and cg take turns to respond to eachothers bhv/signals to keep interaction going
• infants have alert phases and signal when ready for interaction
• e.g. child puts arms out to be held, caregiver picks up
• Brazleton said both mother and infant start interaction and take turns, he called this the dance as its like when a couple dance and respond to eachothers dance moves

Question 10

What are the three AO3 points to evaluate Caregiver Infant Interactions in humans: Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony?

Answer 10

• lacks eco val
• high control over extraneous variables
• prac apps