Caregiver-Infant interactions

Caregiver-Infant interactions

1. attachment: a two way, enduring, long lasting emotional tie to a specific other person (mum and child) and develops in set stages in a time period

   • bond is stronger when infant gets a sense of security and comfort = keeps a close proximity

2. stranger anxiety - distressed w unknown people

3. separation anxiety - distressed when away from carer

4. Types of interactions

   • Bodily contact - physical interactions help form bond
     • best if especially after straight after birth
   • Mimicking - baby copying carer's facial expressions, biological device to aid bonds
   • Caregiverese - type of high pitched, modified, slow vocal language
   • Interactional synchrony - babies move their bodies in tune to carer's voice
   • Reciprocity - mutual behaviour between the two

5. Research

   • Klaus and Kennel - mum's who extended physical contact w baby and mum's who just had it during feeding
     • 1 month later - mum's with greater contact saw the effects years later
       • physical contact helps strength bonds
     • pratical application - babies allowed to be with mum after birth instead of diff rooms
   • saw baby's mimic 2-3 weeks after birth
     • mimicry is an innate ability
   • caregiverese is done by all adults to babies - not specifically for bonds
   • Schaffer and Emmerson - if common attachment pattern + the distinct stages
     • longitudinal study - followed mother n babies for a year and again after 18mnth
     • measured stranger anx and separation protest
     • a pattern seen - process is biological
     • bond is stronger when carer is more sensitive to infant's need
     • mother could've been lying or pretending
     • has mundane realism
     • can't be generalised - one culture

6. Stages of attachment development

   • 1) pre attachment phase (birth-3mnths) = infants attracted to humans, smile at their faces
     • 2) Indiscriminate attachment phase (3-7m) = infants differentiating familiar and unfamiliar faces, smiling at known and allowing strangers to handle them
       • 3)Discriminate (8+m) = infants develop special bonds, staying close to those and have high stranger anx and separation anx
         • 4) Multiple attachment (9+m) = develops multiple bonds w other major carers and non cares, stranger fear weakens

7. Multiple attachments

   • Bowlby = one prime attachment (monotropy) and others were minor
   • Rutter = all attachments are equal - creates IWM
   • diff attachments for diff things
     • mums for loving care
     • father for unpredictable play
     • grandparents, children, siblings

8. The role of the father

   • used to be seen as a minor role but now society has changed
   • less of a carer but more a playmate
   • Factors effecting father
     • degree of sensitivity - more sensitive, more secure attachment is
     • types of attachment with own parents is repeated w their child
     • marital intimacy - degree of intimacy w partner effects bond w child
     • supportive co-parenting - the amount of support the father gives to help care
   • Research
     • Meta analysis of SS - children with great bonds w dad, dad had a high level of sensitivity
       • supports idea that higher the sensitivity - the stronger the bond
   • Evaluation
     • children w a strong father bond had better relationships w peers - fathers have a posi influence on developmental outcomes
     • Society still needs to catch up on seeing father's importance - airlines won't seat males to non related kids
     • Fathers also help reduce stress and increase self esteem in mum