Intro to attachment.
Reciprocity = how 2 people interact. Mother-infant interaction is reciprocal as they respond to
each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the other.
Interactional synchrony = mother and infant reflect actions and emotions of the other and do
this in a coordinated (synchronised) way.
Attachment is a close 2-way emotional bond between two individuals in which both individual
sees the other as essential for emotional security. Attachment in humans takes a few months to
develop. We can recognise attachment when behaviours are displayed:
Proximity – physically close
Separation distress/anxiety
Secure-base behaviour – regularly returning to attachment figure (using them as a secure-
base)
Reciprocity
From birth babies and mothers spend a lot of time interacting. Babies have ‘alert phases’ and
signal that they are ready for interaction. Mothers pick up on + respond to infant alertness
about 2/3 of the time (Feldman and Eidelman 2007).
From 3 months, interaction is increasingly frequent. Reciprocity is key – an interaction in
reciprocal when they respond to each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the
other.
Brazleton et al. (1975) described mother-infant interactions as a ‘dance’, as they respond to
each other’s ‘moves’.
Interactional synchrony
People are said to be synchronised when they carry out the same action simultaneously.
Interactional synchrony is ‘the temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour’
(Feldman). It takes place when mother and infant interact and their actions + emotions mirror
the other.
Meltzoff and Moore (1977) observed interactional synchrony is babies as young as 2 weeks old.
1. An adult displayed 1/3 facial expressions OR 1/3 distinctive gestures
2. The child’s response was filmed and identified by independent observers.
Association was found between expression/gesture from adult and the babies.
Isabella et al. (1989) observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed the degree of
synchrony AND the quality of mother-infant attachment.
They found that high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality attachment
Reciprocity = how 2 people interact. Mother-infant interaction is reciprocal as they respond to
each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the other.
Interactional synchrony = mother and infant reflect actions and emotions of the other and do
this in a coordinated (synchronised) way.
Attachment is a close 2-way emotional bond between two individuals in which both individual
sees the other as essential for emotional security. Attachment in humans takes a few months to
develop. We can recognise attachment when behaviours are displayed:
Proximity – physically close
Separation distress/anxiety
Secure-base behaviour – regularly returning to attachment figure (using them as a secure-
base)
Reciprocity
From birth babies and mothers spend a lot of time interacting. Babies have ‘alert phases’ and
signal that they are ready for interaction. Mothers pick up on + respond to infant alertness
about 2/3 of the time (Feldman and Eidelman 2007).
From 3 months, interaction is increasingly frequent. Reciprocity is key – an interaction in
reciprocal when they respond to each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the
other.
Brazleton et al. (1975) described mother-infant interactions as a ‘dance’, as they respond to
each other’s ‘moves’.
Interactional synchrony
People are said to be synchronised when they carry out the same action simultaneously.
Interactional synchrony is ‘the temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour’
(Feldman). It takes place when mother and infant interact and their actions + emotions mirror
the other.
Meltzoff and Moore (1977) observed interactional synchrony is babies as young as 2 weeks old.
1. An adult displayed 1/3 facial expressions OR 1/3 distinctive gestures
2. The child’s response was filmed and identified by independent observers.
Association was found between expression/gesture from adult and the babies.
Isabella et al. (1989) observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed the degree of
synchrony AND the quality of mother-infant attachment.
They found that high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality attachment
