Caregiver-infant interactions

Caregiver-infant interactions

1. Bodily contact

   • Physical interactions between caregiver and the infant, especially after birth eg. skin to skin contact. Start the development of attachment

2. Mimicking

   • Infants have an innate ability to imitate carers' facial expressions. Biological function to help develop attachment.
   • Meltzoff and Moore(1977) investigated the imitation of facial expression in 2-3 week old infants. They videotaped 12-21 day-old babies as they watched an adult experimenter perform different facial expressions. Observers who were blind to the research aim later watched the videos and coded the babies' own facial expression. It was found that the babies' facial expression matched the experimenter's significantly more often than would happen by chance This means very young infants will spontaneously imitate facial expressions of adult models.
     • High external validity because observers were not present when the experiment happened, so natural behaviours would be recorded.

3. Caregiverese

   • Caregivers use a modified form of vocal language eg. high pitched, song-like, slow and repetitive. Aids communication

4. Interactional synchrony

   • Co-ordinated rhythmic exchanges occur between caregiver and the infant. The interactions are rewarding. Help in the development of attachment.
   • Isabella et al.(1989) assessed the degree of synchrony in mother and infant pairs as well as the quality of the mother-infant attachment. There was a strong correlation between two measures.
     • They are related but not causal. Perhaps due to a third factor eg. caregiver spent more time with infant
   • Condon and Sander(1974) analysed video recordings of infants' movements frame by frame and found that they coordinated their actions in sequesnce with adults' speech to form a turn-taking conversation.
   • (Cultural difference)Le Vine et el.(1994) reported that Kenyann mothers have little physical contact or interactions with their infants but the infants do have a high proportion of secure attachments

5. Reciprocity

   • Interactions result in mutual behaviour eg. a dance, responding by copying, strengthening the bond
   • Murray and Trearthen(1985) Asking the mothers to adopt a'frozen face' expression. The infants became distressed and turned away and tried to get the mother to come back into the interaction. This suggests that the infant is an active and intentional partner in the communication.