Introduction to Attachment

Question 1

What are the features of caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 1

1. Babies have alert phases
2. Interactional Synchrony (mirroring)
3. Reciprocity
4. The baby is active

Question 2

What are alert phases?

Answer 2

When babies have periodic alert phases in which they signal to mothers that they’re ready for interaction

Question 3

How often do mothers respond to alert phases?

Answer 3

Around two thirds of the time according to Feldman and Eidelman

Question 4

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 4

The co-ordination of microlevel behaviour, it occurs when mother and infant actions and emotions mirror each other

Question 5

When does interactional synchrony develop?

Answer 5

Interactional synchrony was observed in infants as young as two weeks old - Meltzoff and Moore

Question 6

What is reciprocity?

Answer 6

This is when both the mother and infant responds to the other and elicit a response from them

Question 7

How has the role of the baby changed?

Answer 7

Previously the baby was seen in a passive role receiving care now there more active initiating interactions

Question 8

How is interactional synchrony important?

Answer 8

It provides the necessary foundations the mother infant connections which will be built upon and increased levels of interactional synchrony are associated with increased quality attachments - Isabella et al.

Question 9

What are the evaluation points the caregiver infant interactions?

Answer 9

It’s hard to know what’s happening when observing infants (-)
It involved well-controlled procedures (+)
Observations don’t tell us the purpose of interactional synchrony and reciprocity (-)
Research into mother infant interactions is socially sensitive (-)