Lesson 1 CAREGIVER INFANT INTERACTIONS Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions?
How two people respond to each other’s signals, taking turns like a conversation
In caregiver-infant interactions, reciprocity involves both responding to signals and engaging in turn-taking.
Define interactional synchrony.
The mother and infant mirror each other’s actions and emotions in a coordinated synced way
Interactional synchrony plays a crucial role in emotional bonding.
What is an attachment?
A close two-way emotional bond between two individuals where each person sees each other as important for their own emotional security
Attachments are fundamental for emotional development.
List the behaviors that indicate an attachment is forming.
- Proximity
- Separation distress
- Secure-base behaviour
These behaviors demonstrate the emotional connection in attachment relationships.
What does proximity mean in attachment theory?
People try to stay physically close with their attachment figure
Proximity is essential for maintaining emotional bonds.
What is separation distress?
Signs of anxiety when an attachment figure leaves their presence
This behavior indicates the importance of the attachment figure.
What is secure-base behavior?
Regular contact with the attachment figure even when independent
Seen in babies who return to a parent after playing.
What did Feldman and Eidelman find regarding how often the mother-infant interactions occur?
2/3 of the time, the mother picks up and responds to the baby’s alertness
This highlights the importance of responsiveness in attachment.
What happens around 3 months in caregiver-infant interactions?
Interactions become more frequent, increasing attention to verbal signals and facial expressions
This is a critical period for developing attachment.
Who described the interaction between caregiver and infant as a ‘dance’?
Brazelton et al.
This metaphor illustrates the back-and-forth nature of their interactions.
What is the definition of interactional synchrony according to the text?
The coordinator of micro-level social behaviour
This definition emphasizes its role in social interactions.
What did Isabella et al. observe about interactional synchrony?
High levels of synchrony were associated with better quality attachments
Synchrony is crucial for emotional bond development.
name 2 strengths of the idea of caregiver-infant interactions
- Usually, these interactions are observed in a lab setting, this means any EVs that can affect the baby’s behaviour is controlled (e.g. lighting). In the lab setting, the interactions are recorded, this means the researcher can review the behaviour again to ensure no key behaviours were missed, other researchers can also look at the recording, this increases the inter-rater reliability
- real world application: parent-infant psychotherapy, helps parents understand their child’s signals better
Name 2 weaknesses of the idea of caregiver-infant interactions
- Babies lack coordination and are immobile, this means it’s difficult to interpret their behaviour, for example a small hand twitch could’ve been random or could’ve been from the caregiver so its hard to give it a special meaning
- Feldman argues that phrases such as ‘synchrony’ explains a pattern of observable behaviour but it doesn’t explain how it’s important for the child’s development
what does ‘alert phase’ mean who created that term
Feldman and Eidelman explained that it’s when babies signal readiness for interactions such as making eye contact
