caregiver- infant interactions

Question 1

What are the 6 AO1 points you must know for caregiver infant interactions?

Answer 1

-Reciprocity
-Interactional Synchrony
-Meltzoff and Moore (1977)
-Importance for Attachment
-Brazelton et al. (1975)
-High levels of synchrony linked to better quality attachments

Question 2

What is reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 2

A two-way process where caregiver and infant respond to each other’s signals. Becomes more frequent from around 3 months.

Question 3

What is interactional synchrony in caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 3

When caregiver and infant mirror each other’s actions and emotions in a coordinated, rhythmic way – like a dance.

Question 4

What did Meltzoff and Moore (1977) find about interactional synchrony?

Answer 4

Infants as young as 2 weeks old imitated facial expressions and hand movements, suggesting synchrony may be innate.

Question 5

How do early interactions support attachment?

Answer 5

Reciprocity and synchrony help form emotional bonds and promote social and emotional development, leading to attachment.

Question 6

How did Brazelton et al. (1975) describe reciprocity?

Answer 6

As a “dance” where both caregiver and infant respond to each other. Ignoring this can cause distress or withdrawal in babies.

Question 7

What is the link between synchrony and attachment quality?

Answer 7

Higher levels of interactional synchrony are associated with stronger, more secure caregiver-infant attachments.