Caregiver-infant Interactions

Question 1

What is the definition of attachment?

Answer 1

• An emotional bond between two people
• 2 way process that endures over time
• Leads to certain behaviours

Question 2

What is the formation of attachment?

Answer 2

• Non-verbal communication form basis of attachment between infant & caregiver

Question 3

State what is meant by Reciprocity.

Answer 3

• Responding to an action with similar actions
• From birth; babies move in rhythm when interacting with an adult
• Allows care giver to:
  > Anticipate
  > Respond to infants interaction
• Sensitivity to infant behaviour = lays foundation for later attachment

Question 4

State the definition of Interactional Synchrony.

Answer 4

• When 2 people interact - tend to mirror others actions
• This includes:
  > Facial expressions
  > Emotions

Question 5

State the researchers involved with the Caregiver-infant interactions study.

Answer 5

Meltzoff & Moore (1997)

Question 6

What involvements does the researchers have in the caregiver-intercation study?

Answer 6

• Dummy in infants mouth = prevent response
• Then, adult displayed expressions & hand movements
• Dummy removed = association between infants behaviour & adult is present.

Question 7

What is meant by Real or pseudo-imitation?

Answer 7

• Meltzoff & Moore proposed imitation is intentional
• Diaget (1962) believed “deliberate imitation” only developed towards end of 1styear
• Any imitation before 1st year = ‘response training’
• Imitation by infant = caregiver smiles = rewarding = imitation by infant repeated

Question 8

Explain the procedure of the Still face experiment.

Answer 8

• 2 month old infant interacts with mother
• Next, mother shows no response to infants gestures
• Child therefore displayed:
  > Acute distress
  > Attempted to gain mothers attention back
• Child plays active & intentional role in mother-infant interaction

Question 9

What does the Still face experiment suggest?

Answer 9

Behaviour = innate & not learned

Question 10

Name the 1st strength of the caregiver-infant interaction.

Answer 10

Value of the research:

• Imitation behaviour = forms basis for social development
• Child acquires understanding on what people think & feel
• It’s a strength as it explains how children begin to understand & feel, this conducts relationships
• Theory of mind/like me hypothesis

Question 11

Name the 1st limitation of the caregiver-infant interaction.

Answer 11

Individual differences:

• Isabella et al (1989) discovered strongly attached infant-caregiver pairs show greater interactional synchrony
• Heimann (1989) showed more imitation = greater relationship
• However, isn’t clear if imitation is cause or effect of early synchrony

Question 12

Name the 2nd strength of the caregiver-infant interaction.

Answer 12

Intentionally supported:

• Abravanel & PeYong (1991)
• Discovered infants age 5-12 weeks make little responses to inanimate objects
• Suggests infants have specific social response to other humans