Caregiver-infant interactions

Caregiver-infant interactions

1. Improving the bond

   • Bodily contact
     • Klaus and Kennel (1976) found that mothers who had more bodily contact were more affectionate later on, which had an impact on hospitals.
   • Mimicking, an innate ability.
     • Meltzoff and Moore (1977) found this in 2-3 week old infants.
   • Caregiverese - adults use a modified version of language that aids communication.
     • Papaousek et al. (1991) found this was cross-cultural.
   • Interactional synchrony - infants move in tune with the carers' language in turns. Brazelton referred to it as a dance.
     • Isabella et al. (1989) found that infants with a secure attachment displayed this.
   • Reciprocity - mutual behaviour between carer and infant and produce responses from each other.

2. Role of the father

   • Many have seen the father as more of a playmate than a caregiver, as their play is often more physical, exciting and unpredictable.
     • Found by Geiger (1996)
     • Lamb (1987) found that fathers who became main caregivers quickly developed sensitive responsiveness, a characteristic typical in the mother.
   • Factors that affect their relationship
     • Degree of sensitivity
     • Their relationship reflects the one with their own parents.
     • Marital intimacy
     • Supportive co-parenting
   • Children who have better relationships with their fathers have better behaviour and relationships.

3. Schaffer's stages of attachment (1996)

   • Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
     • Longitudinal study of 60 newborn babies and their mothers. Studied each month for a year and at 18 months. Observations and interviews were conducted, measuring separation and stranger anxiety.
     • Found that by around 7 months, specific attachment had developed and at 18 months, 87% had two or more attachments. This study had mundane realism but large individual differences.
     • Asocial (2 months) - preference for other humans.
       • Indiscriminate (2-7 months) - infants can distinguish between familiar and non-familiar people but still like stranger.
         • Specific (7- 11 months) - stranger and separation anxiety.
           • Multiple (11 months+) - the infant can form attachments to other caregivers.
             • Whilst Bowlby argued that the primary attachment figure is the most important, Rutter argued that all attachments are important in forming the IWM.