Introduction to attachment with detailed AO1 descriptions and explanations of caregiver-infant interactions, reciprocity, and interactional synchrony. Includes a focus on Meltzoff and Moore (1977) and their findings. Detailed AO3 evaluation with strengths and weaknesses of these findings.
Babyface hypothesis
● Most young mammals have the same distinctive facial features
○ Big eyes, large forehead, squashed up nose
● These features act as a trigger for parenting behaviour which is necessary for a young animals survival
● The features elicit our desire to look after and care for babies
● Innate tendency to find babyface features appealing - spills over into how we judge adult faces
○ The babyface overgeneralization hypothesis
○ People rate adult faces with an element of 'babyfaceness' as the most attractive - Langlois and
Roggemann 1990
● Describe people with baby-like faces as being socially, physically and intellectually weak - Zebrowitz 1997
Caregiver-infant interactions
● Infancy is the period of a child's life before speech begins
● One of the key interactions is non-verbal communication
● Such interactions may form the basis of attachment between an infant and caregiver
○ It is the manner in which each responds to the other that determines the formation of the attachment
■ The more sensitive each is to the others signals = the deeper the relationship
● Meltzoff and Moore (1977)
Reciprocity and interactional synchrony
● Conducted experiment where the infant imitates the adults facial expression
● Observational study
● Selected 4 different stimuli
○ Tongue protrusion + mouth opening + lip protrusion + opening the hand
● A dummy was placed in the infants mouth during the initial display to prevent any response + following the
display the dummy was removed and the child's expression was filmed
● Experiment was videotaped and later observed - peer review
● judged by independent observers who had no knowledge of what the infant had just seen + each observer was
asked to note all instances of infant tongue protrusion
● Found that infants as young as 2-3 weeks old imitated specific facial and hand gestures
● They found there was an association between the infant behaviour and that of the adult model
Reciprocity
● Research in the 1970s (e.g. Jaffe et al., 1973) demonstrated that infants coordinate their actions with their
caregivers -> conversation
● From birth babies move in rhythm when interacting with an adult almost as if they were taking turns
○ When having a conversation one person leans forwards and speaks + then it's the other person's turn
○ Example of reciprocity
● Brazelton (1979) suggested that this basic rhythm is an important precursor to later communications
● The regularity of an infant's signals allows a caregiver to anticipate the infant's behaviour and respond
appropriately
● This sensitivity to the infant's behaviour lays the foundation for later attachment
Interactional synchrony
● Meltzoff and Moore (1977)
Reciprocity and interactional synchrony
● Conducted experiment where the infant imitates the adults facial expression
● Observational study
● Selected 4 different stimuli
○ Tongue protrusion + mouth opening + lip protrusion + opening the hand
● A dummy was placed in the infants mouth during the initial display to prevent any response + following the
display the dummy was removed and the child's expression was filmed
● Experiment was videotaped and later observed - peer review
● judged by independent observers who had no knowledge of what the infant had just seen + each observer was
asked to note all instances of infant tongue protrusion
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller evie1. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.29. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
