Caregiver-Infant Interactions
ATTACHMENT: Emotional tie or bond between two people, usually a primary
caregiver and child
RECIPROCITY: When an infant responds to actions of another person in a form or turn-
taking
• Feldman (2007): Reciprocity increases in frequency as the infant and caregiver pay increasing
attention to each other’s verbal and facial communications
• Sensitive responsiveness of caregiver lays the strong foundations for attachment to develop
later
INTERACTIONAL SYNCHRONY: When an infant mirrors the actions or emotions of
another person
• Can be referred to imitation or copying the adult’s behaviour
• Caregiver and infant carry out the same act simultaneously
• Sustain communication between two individuals
KEY STUDY: Meltzoff and Moore (1977)
Aim: To examine interactional synchrony in infants
Method: Adult model displays one of the 3 facial expressions and child's expressions are
observed -> Dummy was placed in the child’s mouth to prevent a facial response, and removed
to observe their expressions
Results: Clear association between their behaviour and that of the adult model. Similar findings
in 3 day old infants
Conclusion: Suggests that interactional synchrony is innate, and reduces strength of claims of
imitative behaviour
EVALUATION
LIMITATIONS
Questionable reliability of testing children
Cannot be sure if they were actually engaging in international synchrony or if it was by chance
Observer bias
Researchers may consciously or unconsciously interpret behaviour to support their findings
Meltzoff and Moore's research may have overlooked individual differences
Isabella et. al (1989): Not all infants engage in interactional synchrony, only those that are
securely attached
• The more securely attached, the greater the level of interactional synchrony
, ROLE OF THE FATHER
Claim 1: Hormone oestrogen Claim 2: Fathers do not take Claim 3: Fathers can
underlies caring behaviour in on a caregiver role, and play demonstrate sensitive
women, and the lack of the role of a playmate responsiveness and respond
oestrogen In men is why they to the needs of their children,
are unable to form a close and can form a strong
attachment emotional bond
Hrdy (1999): Fathers were less Gieger (1996): Father's play Besky et al (2009): Males who
able to detect low levels of interactions were more reported higher levels of
infant distress, compared to exciting, but mother's play marital intimacy displayed a
mothers - Role is biologically interactions were more secure father-infant
determined affectionate and nurturing attachments
ISSUES AND DEBATES
Nomothetic approach
Proposes a general law for child development
• However, such theories are inflexible and do not apply to all children in all cultures
• Example: Schaffer claims that single attachments occur before multiple attachments, but
this is not necessarily the case in all cultures
Nature-Nurture Debate: Nature
Caregiver-infant interactions are believed to be present from birth
• However, such innate behaviours do not act in isolation, and interact with the environment to
prompt a response
ATTACHMENT: Emotional tie or bond between two people, usually a primary
caregiver and child
RECIPROCITY: When an infant responds to actions of another person in a form or turn-
taking
• Feldman (2007): Reciprocity increases in frequency as the infant and caregiver pay increasing
attention to each other’s verbal and facial communications
• Sensitive responsiveness of caregiver lays the strong foundations for attachment to develop
later
INTERACTIONAL SYNCHRONY: When an infant mirrors the actions or emotions of
another person
• Can be referred to imitation or copying the adult’s behaviour
• Caregiver and infant carry out the same act simultaneously
• Sustain communication between two individuals
KEY STUDY: Meltzoff and Moore (1977)
Aim: To examine interactional synchrony in infants
Method: Adult model displays one of the 3 facial expressions and child's expressions are
observed -> Dummy was placed in the child’s mouth to prevent a facial response, and removed
to observe their expressions
Results: Clear association between their behaviour and that of the adult model. Similar findings
in 3 day old infants
Conclusion: Suggests that interactional synchrony is innate, and reduces strength of claims of
imitative behaviour
EVALUATION
LIMITATIONS
Questionable reliability of testing children
Cannot be sure if they were actually engaging in international synchrony or if it was by chance
Observer bias
Researchers may consciously or unconsciously interpret behaviour to support their findings
Meltzoff and Moore's research may have overlooked individual differences
Isabella et. al (1989): Not all infants engage in interactional synchrony, only those that are
securely attached
• The more securely attached, the greater the level of interactional synchrony
, ROLE OF THE FATHER
Claim 1: Hormone oestrogen Claim 2: Fathers do not take Claim 3: Fathers can
underlies caring behaviour in on a caregiver role, and play demonstrate sensitive
women, and the lack of the role of a playmate responsiveness and respond
oestrogen In men is why they to the needs of their children,
are unable to form a close and can form a strong
attachment emotional bond
Hrdy (1999): Fathers were less Gieger (1996): Father's play Besky et al (2009): Males who
able to detect low levels of interactions were more reported higher levels of
infant distress, compared to exciting, but mother's play marital intimacy displayed a
mothers - Role is biologically interactions were more secure father-infant
determined affectionate and nurturing attachments
ISSUES AND DEBATES
Nomothetic approach
Proposes a general law for child development
• However, such theories are inflexible and do not apply to all children in all cultures
• Example: Schaffer claims that single attachments occur before multiple attachments, but
this is not necessarily the case in all cultures
Nature-Nurture Debate: Nature
Caregiver-infant interactions are believed to be present from birth
• However, such innate behaviours do not act in isolation, and interact with the environment to
prompt a response
