Lesson 1- Caregiver-Infant Interactions in Humans- Reciprocity & Interactional Synchrony Flashcards
What is infancy?
Infancy- period of 👶’s life before speech begins
What type of communication is therefore most prominent between an infant & caregiver & how does this influence the relationship formed?
… ✖️-verbal communication 🔑 interaction between caregiver & infant 👶 (✖️ words/sound)
Form basis of attachment between an infant & caregiver- manner of each response to other determines attachment (the ⬆️ sensitive each is to the other’s signals, the deeper the relationship)
What is reciprocity?
Reciprocity- interaction reciprocal when each person responds to other & elicits response from them
Give an example of how a reciprocal conversation between an infant & caregiver would be
Example- infants coordinate actions with caregivers in a kind of conversation- move in rhythm when interacting with adult (take turns- like ppl in conversation- 1 person talks, the other listens etc)
What 2 statements about reciprocity did Brazelton make & when did he make them?
Brazelton et al. (1975)- described interaction (reciprocity) as a dance 💃 (each partner responds to each other’s moves)
Brazelton (1979)- basic rhythm important for later communications- regularity of signals allows caregiver to anticipate infants 🏃♂ & respond appropriately- sensitivity to infant 🏃♂ lays foundation for later attachment between caregiver & infant
What is interactional synchrony?
Interactional synchrony- the temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour (🏃♂ reflection)
Who studied interactional synchrony & when did they do so?
Meltzoff & Moore (1977)
What was the method used for Meltzoff & Moore’s interactional synchrony study?
1) Use of controlled observation
2) 4 different stimuli (3 different faces & 3 🖐 gesture) used to observe 🏃♂ of infants in response
3) Adult 🧑 model used- displayed 1 out of 3 facial expressions/🖐 movements
4) Dummy placed in infant’s 👄 during initial display to prevent response- AFTER display, dummy removed & 👶’s expression filmed on video
5) Video judged by independent observer (✖️ know what infant had seen)- watched videotapes of infant’s 🏃♂ in real time, slow motion & frame by frame if necessary
6) Each observer noted infant reactions using the following behavioural categories:
- 👄 opening
- 👄 closing
- 👅 protrusion
- 👅 retraction
7) Each observer scored tapes twice so that both intra-observer (same observer) & inter-observer reliability (different observers) could be calculated & all scores ⬆️ than 0.92
What were the findings of Meltzoff & Moore’s interactional synchrony study?
8) Infants 👶 as young as 2-3 weeks old imitated specific facial gestures & … association between 👶 🏃♂ & adult 🧑 model
9) Later study- Meltzoff & Moore demonstrated same synchrony with 👶 only 3 days old- … suggests interactional synchrony innate & ✖️ learned
10) SUPPORTED BY- Murray & Trevarthen (1985) research- 2-month-old (✖️ 1 year old- SEE ⬇️) infants 1st interacted via video monitor with mother in real time- THEN video monitor played tape of mother (image on screen ✖️ responding to infants’ facial & bodily gestures-> acute distress from infants- 👶 tried to attract mothers’ interest
but gained ✖️ response … turned away- shows infant is actively eliciting response
rather than just displaying a response that has been rewarded. This study shows the importance of interactional synchrony
11) BUT Piaget (1962)- argued that infants this young ✖️ imitate intentionally- instead copying due to reward of caregiver 😊 & ✖️ interactional synchrony- argued that true imitation happened after the child was 1 year old
What are the evaluation points of caregiver-infant interactions through reciprocity & interactional synchrony?
👎- problems with testing infant behaviour- 👶 👄 in fairly constant motion & tested expressions occur frequently e.g. 😛, 🥱 💤 , 😊 etc … difficult to distinguish between general activity & specific imitated 🏃♂
👍- value of research- shows how basis for social development formed- Meltzoff (2005) developed a ‘like me’ hypothesis based on interactional synchrony research-> baby associates imitation with feelings & 💭 of others-> understanding how others 🤔 & feel (Theory of Mind)-> ability to construct relationships
👎- individual differences- variation between infants behaviour- e.g. Isabella et al (1989) found ⬆️ 💪 attached infant-caregiver pairs showed ⬆️ interactional synchrony
👍- intentionality of infant 🏃♂- response to inanimate objects. Abravenal & DeYoung (1991) observed 👶 🏃♂ when interacting with 2 objects- 1 simulating 👅 movements & other 👄 opening/closing- found infants between ages 5-12 weeks made little response to objects … shows that babies ✖️ just imitate what they 👀- BUT socially respond to other humans
