CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS

CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS

1. RECIPROCITY

   • -Babies & mothers spend lots of time in intense interaction. Babies have 'alert phases' & signals that thye are ready for interaction. Reciprocity occurs when each person responds to other and elicit response
   • -From 3+ months interaction = frequent & involves close attention to facial expressions & each others verbal signals
   • -Both mother & child can initiate action & appear to take turns in doing so

2. INTERACTIONAL SYNCHRONY

   • -People = synchronised when carry out same action at same time. This happens when mothers & babies mirror each others actions and emotions
   • -Interactional synchrony = important for development of infant-mother interaction

3. EVALUATION

   • (-ve) when observations taking place = difficult to know if interactions have special meaning. Child could merely be making hand movements or changes in expression that do not necessarily have lots of meaning. Lowers validity of theory
   • (+ve) Most of research = done under controlled conditions where infant & carers are often filmed from different angles. This ensures lots of detail to be recorded so increases validity.
   • (-ve) Research may make women feel should not return to work after having children as restricts oppurtunities for interactional synchrony & disadvantage children. This = issue of social sensitivity & may be seen as form of sexism

4. EVALUATION - ISABELLA 1989

   • AIM/PROCEDURE
     • See if interactional synchrony = important for development of mother-infant attachment
     • Observed 30 mothers & infants together & assessed degree of synchrony
     • Also assessed quality of mother-infant interactions
   • RESULTS/CONCLUSION
     • Found high levels of synchrony = associated with better quality mother-infant attachment
     • Interactional synchrony = important for development of mother-child interaction