Lesson 1 - Caregiver Infant Interactions

Question 1

What is attachment

Answer 1

• Affectional tie between two animals/people
-two-way process that binds them together in space and endures over time

• Behavioural hallmark of attachment is seeking to gain + maintain certain degree of proximity to object of attachment

Question 2

What is reciprocity

Answer 2

• Two-way mutual process, each party responds to other’s signal to sustain interaction

Question 3

What is interactional synchrony

Answer 3

Temporal co-ordination of microlevel social behaviour

REFLECTION between mother and infant
-to REFLECT ACTIONS & EMOTIONS of other

Question 4

Interactional synchrony study Procedure

-Meltzoff and Moore(1977)

Answer 4

Controlled Observation

four diff stimuli

-three faces & hand gesture

Observer watched tapes twice so intra+inter observer reliability calculated
-all scores over 0.92

Question 5

What were the four diff behavioural categories observers were asked to note down instances of in Meltzoff and Moore’s study

Answer 5

Mouth opening - abrupt jaw drop opening mouth across entire extent of lip

Termination of mouth opening - return lips to closed resting position

Tongue protrusion - clear forward thrust of tongue so tip crossed back edge of lower lip

Termination of tongue protrusion - retraction of tongue tip behind back edge of lower lip

Question 6

Interactional synchrony study Findings

-Meltzoff and Moore(1977)

Answer 6

Infants 2-3 weeks old imitated specific facial gestures

-association between infant + adult model

Question 7

Interactional synchrony study
-Meltzoff and Moore(1977)

Strength
-Abravenal and DeYoung(1991)

Answer 7

Abravenal and DeYoung(1991) observed infant behaviour interacting w/ two objects

• one stimulating tongue movements
• mouth opening/closing

Found infants between 5-12 weeks made little response to objects

Babies do NOT just imitate what they see it IS a social response to other humans showing RECIPROCITY and INTERACTIONAL SYNCHRONY

Question 8

Interactional synchrony study
-Meltzoff and Moore(1977)

Strength
Value of research

Answer 8

Studying caregiver-infant interactions shows how it forms basis for social development

Metlzoff(2005) developed a ‘like me’ hypothesis of infant development based on research of interactional synchrony

Baby associates imitations with feelings and thoughts of others

leads to understanding how others think and feel
able to construct relationships

Question 9

Interactional synchrony study
-Meltzoff and Moore(1977)

Weakness
Problems with testing infant behaviour

Answer 9

Difficult to reliably test their behaviour

Infants mouths constantly in motions
-expressions tested occur frequently

Difficult to distinguish between

• general activity
• imitated behaviour

Question 10

Interactional synchrony study
-Meltzoff and Moore(1977)

Weakness
Failure to Replicate

Answer 10

Koepke et al(1985) failed to replicate Meltzoff and Moore’s findings

Marian et al(1986) tried to replicated Murray and Trevarthen’s study

found infants couldn’t distinguish live interactions from videotaped interactions of their mother