Caregiver and infant interactions Flashcards
What are the two ways in which infants and caregivers interact?
- Interactional synchrony
2. Reciprocity
What is interactional synchrony?
It is the matching of actions between two people. EG when one smiles, it triggers a smile in the other
What did Meltzoff and Moore argue the ability to imitate was?
- an important building block for later social and cognitive development.
- studies with 18 babies in their first month of life
- found babies aged 12-21 days old could imitate both facial and manual gestures.
What is reciprocity?
in infant research, refers to the finely tuned coordinated behaviours between the caregiver and infant during speaking and listening. Over time, the caregiver and infant develop a shared sense of timing which evolves into a flow of mutual behaviours
What cycle in babies did Brazelton et al found supporting reciprocity as it showed represented first signs of organised infant behaviour?
- cycles of attention and non-attention, with three distinct phases:
- attention and build-up, turning away and recovery, with several cycles occurring per minute.
What is later A types associated with as found by research by Belskey et al and what level of it may be a good indication of how sensitive a caregiver is to infant as argued by Belsky? (Strength)
- the Q of reciprocity
- infants securely attached at 12 months involved in middle amount of R
- low levels/high levels of R = ?
- middle level of reciprocity /not over stimulating with constant interaction= too much for opt development.
- suggest importance of understanding R + may provide a basis to support effective parenting.
What are the two ways in which the the notion of reciprocity go beyond maternal sensitivity? (weakness)
- concept focuses primarily on the mother’s contribution to interactions- whereas R focuses on both i + cg
- 2ndly research on IS provided a V comprehensive + detailed account on a s by s level of interactions in the maternal dyad.
- Although conclusions limited, correlation found betw amount of R and infant’s A type.
- However, such evidence cannot show that R causes secure A vice versa or if the causality goes in both directions
What evidence did Beebe et al find regarding the -tive effect of reciprocity failures? (weakness)
- observed mother-infants at the age of 4 months + used the SS to assess A types at 12 months.
- found some mothers: conflicting emotional signals, representing a lack of R
- eg:mother would respond to the infant’s distress by gazing away from the infant’s face.
- infants tended to form a disorganised A
- suggests importance of understanding IS + may provide a basis to support effective parenting.
Outline the procedure of Meltzoff and Moore study regarding infant caregiver interaction
controlled environment, presented 4 diff stimuli and observed behaviour of infants in response. Observers noted all instances of infant using behavioural categories
Describe the 4 different stimuli in the Meltzoff and Moore 1997 study.
- Protrusion of tongue
- Mouth opening
- Pursed lips
- Hand gesture
How were the observations in the Meltzoff and Moore study recorded?
An observer watched videotapes of the infants behaviour in real-time, slow motion and frame by frame if necessary
To reduce observer bias what did Meltzoff and Moore do?
Independent observers, who didn’t know what the infant had seen, were also used to judge the video and asked to organise them into behavioural categories
What are behavioural categories?
Key behaviours or, collections of behaviour, that the researcher conducting the observation will pay attention to and record.
How many times did both the intra-observer and intro-observer observed the video and why?
Twice so that a reliability could be calculated; all scores were greater than 92
What was the main flaw in the Meltzoff and Moore 1997 study?
Difficult to distinguish between general activities and specific imitated behaviour as the expressions tested out occur frequently and infant’s mouth are in fairly constant motion
