Attachment
Caregiver-infant Interaction
Research:
Interactions
- Babies have frequent and important interactions with their caregiver.
Reciprocity
- Turn-taking.
- Mothers respond when baby alerts.
- From 3 months it becomes more intense and reciprocal.
Interactional synchrony
- Same actions simultaneously.
- Interactions co-ordinated from two weeks (Meltzoff and Moore).
- Quality of attachment related to synchrony (Isabella et al.).
Evaluation:
Filmed observations
- Captured fine detail, can establish inter-rater reliability and babies are not aware of being
observed.
Difficulty observing babies
- Hard to know the meaning of small movements.
Developmental importances
- Observation of behaviour does not tell us about its importance in development.
Counterpoint
- Evidence from e.g. Isabella et al.. suggests interactional synchrony is important for attachment.
Practical value vs ethics
- Attachment research has practical value but is controversial (implications for working mothers.)
Schaffer's Stages of Attachment
The theory:
Asocial stage
- First few weeks, same response to humans and objects.
Indiscriminate attachment
- 2-7 months, preference for (familiar) people, no stranger/ separation anxiety.
Specific attachments
- Stranger and separation anxiety in regard to one particular adult = primary attachment figure
(65% were mother).
Multiple attachments
- Soon after attachment behaviour directed towards more than one adult (secondary attachments).
Schaffer and Emerson’s research
Caregiver-infant Interaction
Research:
Interactions
- Babies have frequent and important interactions with their caregiver.
Reciprocity
- Turn-taking.
- Mothers respond when baby alerts.
- From 3 months it becomes more intense and reciprocal.
Interactional synchrony
- Same actions simultaneously.
- Interactions co-ordinated from two weeks (Meltzoff and Moore).
- Quality of attachment related to synchrony (Isabella et al.).
Evaluation:
Filmed observations
- Captured fine detail, can establish inter-rater reliability and babies are not aware of being
observed.
Difficulty observing babies
- Hard to know the meaning of small movements.
Developmental importances
- Observation of behaviour does not tell us about its importance in development.
Counterpoint
- Evidence from e.g. Isabella et al.. suggests interactional synchrony is important for attachment.
Practical value vs ethics
- Attachment research has practical value but is controversial (implications for working mothers.)
Schaffer's Stages of Attachment
The theory:
Asocial stage
- First few weeks, same response to humans and objects.
Indiscriminate attachment
- 2-7 months, preference for (familiar) people, no stranger/ separation anxiety.
Specific attachments
- Stranger and separation anxiety in regard to one particular adult = primary attachment figure
(65% were mother).
Multiple attachments
- Soon after attachment behaviour directed towards more than one adult (secondary attachments).
Schaffer and Emerson’s research
