Notes on Caregiver/Infant Interactions in Humans: Attachment
KEY WORDS
- Attachment is an emotional bond between an infant and a
caregiver – responding to each other grows this bond
- Interactional synchrony is when infants try to sustain
communication, these emotional responses reflect each
other
- Reciprocity is when this interaction is continuous and
almost like give and response. It is like turn-taking (back
and forth interaction)
- Imitation is when the infant mimics the caregiver’s actions
exactly
- Sensitive responsiveness is when the caregiver will pay
careful attention to the infants communication
- Caregiverese is when the caregiver will modulate their
voice (baby voice)
RESEARCH
Melzoff and Moore 1977 – imitation of facial and manual
gestures by humans
- Infants between 12 and 21 days old
- Experimenter displayed facial gestures
- Responses of infants were recorded and rated by people
blind to the audience
- It suggests the ability of infants to observe and imitate is
active early on
- Potentially a way to develop a bond
Papusek et al 1999 – cross cultural research on caregiverese
- Showed the tendency to produce a high pitched baby talk
- This is common across Americans, Chinese and German
mothers
EVALUATION
- Modern studies use higher technology – multiple
observers, video cameras, slow motion pictures. This
provides higher inter-rater reliability. Things that may not
be visible to the naked eye are observable due to the slow
motion
- Babies are unable to communicate therefore we depend on
inferences about their internal mental state – unscientific
and can cause observer bias.
- Researchers can not claim intentionality and their
responses may be an unconscious automatic response
KEY WORDS
- Attachment is an emotional bond between an infant and a
caregiver – responding to each other grows this bond
- Interactional synchrony is when infants try to sustain
communication, these emotional responses reflect each
other
- Reciprocity is when this interaction is continuous and
almost like give and response. It is like turn-taking (back
and forth interaction)
- Imitation is when the infant mimics the caregiver’s actions
exactly
- Sensitive responsiveness is when the caregiver will pay
careful attention to the infants communication
- Caregiverese is when the caregiver will modulate their
voice (baby voice)
RESEARCH
Melzoff and Moore 1977 – imitation of facial and manual
gestures by humans
- Infants between 12 and 21 days old
- Experimenter displayed facial gestures
- Responses of infants were recorded and rated by people
blind to the audience
- It suggests the ability of infants to observe and imitate is
active early on
- Potentially a way to develop a bond
Papusek et al 1999 – cross cultural research on caregiverese
- Showed the tendency to produce a high pitched baby talk
- This is common across Americans, Chinese and German
mothers
EVALUATION
- Modern studies use higher technology – multiple
observers, video cameras, slow motion pictures. This
provides higher inter-rater reliability. Things that may not
be visible to the naked eye are observable due to the slow
motion
- Babies are unable to communicate therefore we depend on
inferences about their internal mental state – unscientific
and can cause observer bias.
- Researchers can not claim intentionality and their
responses may be an unconscious automatic response
