Paper 1 - Attachment - Topic 3 - Caregiver-Infant Interactions Flashcards
3.1 What are caregiver-infant interactions?
Meaningful social interactions between babies and their caregivers that are important for social development
3.1 What is reciprocity in the context of caregiver-infant interactions?
When each person responds to the other, eliciting a response, often described as ‘turn-taking’
3.1 What are alert phases in infants?
Periods in which babies signal readiness for interaction, often through eye contact
3.1 How often do mothers typically respond to their baby’s alertness?
Around two-thirds of the time
3.1 What change occurs in interactions around three months of age?
Interactions become more frequent and involve close attention to verbal signals and facial expressions
3.1 What is the traditional view of babies in early childhood?
Babies are perceived as passive recipients of care
3.1 How do both caregivers and babies participate in interactions?
Both can initiate interactions and take turns doing so
3.1 What analogy did T. Berry Brazelton et al. (1975) use to describe caregiver-infant interactions?
‘Dance’, where each partner responds to the other’s moves
3.1 Define interactional synchrony
The temporal coordination of micro-level social behaviour between caregiver and baby
3.1 At what age did Andrew Meltzoff and Keith Moore (1977) observe interactional synchrony?
As young as two weeks old
3.1 What was found about babies’ responses to adult expressions in Meltzoff and Moore’s study?
Babies’ expressions and gestures were more likely to micro adults than chance would predict
3.1 What did Russell Isabella et al. (1989) find regarding synchrony and attachment quality?
High levels of synchrony are associated with better quality mother-baby attachment
3.1 What is a strength of research on caregiver-infant interactions? (AO3)
Interactions are usually filmed in controlled settings, allowing for reliable observations
Therefore the data collected in such research should have good reliability and validity, establish the inter-rater reliability
3.1 What limitation exists in interpreting a baby’s behaviour? (AO3)
It is difficult to determine the meaning behind subtle movements and expressions
This means we cannot be certain that the behaviours seen in caregiver-infant interactions have a special meaning
3.1 What does Ruth Feldman (2012) suggest about the significance of synchrony and reciprocity? (AO3)
They may not provide useful insights into child development despite being observable
This means we cannot be certain from observational research alone that reciprocity and synchrony are important for a child’s development
3.1 What does evidence from other research suggest about early interactions? (AO3)
They are likely important for development, as shown by Isabella et al. (1989)
This means that, on balance, caregiver-infant interaction is probably important in development
3.1 What practical application does research into caregiver-infant interactions have? (AO3)
Improving parenting skills, such as through Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.
3.1 What ethical concern arises from research on caregiver-infant interactions? (AO3)
It may imply that returning to work soon after childbirth could harm a baby’s development
