Caregiver-Infant Interactions

Question 1

By what processes do caregivers and infants interact?

Answer 1

reciprocity
interactional synchrony

Question 2

What is meant by reciprocity?

Answer 2

caregiver responds to the infant and elicits a response from the infant

Question 3

What is an example of caregiver-infant reciprocity?

Answer 3

caregiver responds to infant smiling by clapping which in turn elicits a response from the infant

Question 4

What is an infant alert phase?

Answer 4

whereby the infant signal that they are ready for a spell of interaction

Question 5

What fraction of time do mothers recognise and respond to alert phases?

Answer 5

2/3 (Feldman and Eidelman, 2007)

Question 6

What did Feldman (2007) conclude in terms of reciprocity?

Answer 6

around 3 months interaction tends to be increasingly frequent and involves close attention form both mother and infant to verbal signals and facial expressions

Question 7

What is meant by active involvement?

Answer 7

both caregiver and infant take active role when initiating interactions and appear to take turns in doing so
-likened to a dance (Brazelton et al, 1975)

Question 8

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 8

caregiver and infant reflect both actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated way

Question 9

How does Feldman define interactional synchrony?

Answer 9

temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour

Question 10

Who researched interactional synchrony?

Answer 10

Meltzoff and Moore, 1977

Question 11

What did Meltzoff and Moore observe in relation to interactional synchrony?

Answer 11

beginnings of interactional synchrony in as early as 2 weeks old

Question 12

How did Meltzoff and Moore explore interactional synchrony?

Answer 12

adult displayed one of three facial expressions or distinctive gestures
baby’s response filmed and labelled by independent observers

Question 13

What were Meltzoff and Moore’s findings from their research into international synchrony?

Answer 13

babies expressions and gestures more likely to mirror those of adults more than chance would predict
significant association

Question 14

How did Isabella et al (1989) demonstrate the importance of interactional synchrony in attachment?

Answer 14

observed 30 mothers and babies and assessed degree of synchrony
researchers assessed quality of mother-baby attachment

Question 15

What were Isabella et al’s findings into interactional synchrony and its importance?

Answer 15

high levels of synchrony associated with better quality mother-baby attachment (e.g emotional intensity of relationship)

Question 16

How can we evaluate caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 16

A: Difficult to interpret babies behaviour: Lack co-ordination and mainly immobile: Movements observed are subtle hand movements or expressions: Difficult to identify babies perspective, is it in response to caregiver?: Cannot be certain behaviours observed relate to attachment quality: Criticises validity
I: Principles of interactional synchrony and reciprocity educate caregivers on how to improve quality of attachment through 10-minute Parent-Child Therapy (Crotwell et al): For example, caregiver paying attention in responding to baby in order to elicit response: Wider applicability, improves ecological validity.
I: Suggests caregivers who do not spend time in responding to baby’s actions will have inevitable poor quality of attachment: Negative implications for working mothers who do not have that opportunity to continually respond to their baby: Damages validity as socially sensitive.
S: Isabella et al implemented laboratory conditions to observe interactional synchrony: Other activity that may distract the baby is reduced: Control over extraneous and confounding variables: Dependent variable directly measured: Higher validity.
S: Meltzoff and Moore utilised filmed observations to record interactional synchrony: Reduces likelihood of important behaviours being missed: Multiple independent observers can analyse film: Increases inter-rater reliability: Babies unaware they are being observed (overt): Natural behaviours produced, no demand characteristics: Increases validity of findings.