caregiver infant interactions Flashcards
(18 cards)
definition of attatchment
a close two way emotional bond betwee two individuals, in which each indvidual sees the oher as esential for their own emotional security
Why do humans form attatchments
-human babies are altricial (born in relativly early tages of attatchment)
-This needs to happen in order for the adults to protect and nurture their young
Why do some animals not form attatchments
Because they are preecocial (born in the advanced stages of development)
What are the short and long term benefits of forming attatchements
short term = survival
long term = emotional relatonships are theorised to act as templates for future relationships
What are the two types of caregiver-infant interactions
-reciprocity
-iteractional synchrony
What is reciprocity
A two way intercation between caregiver and infant where they respond to eachothers signals and build an attatchment
What phase does the baby have to be in to signal a need for interaction with their caregiver
An alert phase
Fieldman
-found that
interaction becomes more
frequent from 3+ months…
-There is close attention to eachothers verbal signals and facial expresions
-Babies take an active role in this process (alert phase) as both must initiate interactions
What did Brazelton describe reciprocity as
a dance, because both partners have to respond to eachothers signals
Interactional synchrony
When the caregiver and infant mirror each other’s emotions and actions in order to develop a healthy attachment
Who studied interactional synchrony
Meltzoff and Moore
Who studied reciprocity
Fieldman
Procedure of Meltzoff and Moore’s study
-Videotaped 12-21 day old infant observing an adult performing different facial expressions
-tongue out, mouth open, lips pursed
Meltzoff and Moore’s findings
Babies facial expressions significantly matched those of the Experimenter
Methodological strength
-Use of controlled observations
-Filmed in a lab
-Allows for high inter-observer reliability
Issues with cause and effect
-Young babies lack coordination and mobility skills
-Difficult to spot behaviors and determine whether they are in response to stimuli
Culture bias
-Research found that Kenyan mothers had a more shared approach to child raising and little interaction with their own children
-A high % of children had secure attachments
Socially sensitive
-Could be considered unethical as high levels of synchrony and reciprocity leads to a healthier attachment
-Suggest mothers should stay at home
