CAREGIVER-INFANT
Reciprocity
INTERACTIONS Difficult to observe infants – hard to know if what were observing is
Infant and caregiver both contribute to the interaction and respond to each other. deliberate changes in expression or just simply hand movements.
For example when an infant smiles, it triggers a smile in the caregiver.
Controlled observations capture fine detail – studies on mothers and
Interactional synchrony infants are filmed so they can be later analysed. This ensures no behavior
Form of rhythmic interaction between infant and caregiver. Infants coordinate their or actions are missed, giving these studies good validity.
actions with caregivers in a kind of conversation, in synchrony.
For example a caregiver who laughs in response to their infants giggling sound Doesn’t give us explanations – Feldman pointed out that observations
when tickling them, experiences synchronized interaction. about synchrony only tell us behavior and don’t tell us their purpose or
Most likely to develop if the caregiver attends fully to the baby, provides playful why they happen.
stimulation when the infant is alert and attentive, and avoids pushing things when
the infant is overexcited. Inconsistent findings on fathers – different researchers have different
research questions, giving different information. Research on fathers as
Attachment figures – role of the father primary caregivers tend to find that fathers take on a maternal role whereas
Parent-infant attachment research on fathers as secondary caregivers look at fathers behaving
Schaffer and Emerson found that most babies did become attached to their mother differently from mothers.
first and within a few weeks formed secondary attachments to other members,
including the father. If fathers have a distinct role then why aren’t children without fathers
75% of babies formed an attachment with their father within 18 months. different? Grossmans study found that fathers had an important role in play
The role of the father and stimulation in children's development. However other studies have
Grossman carried out a longitudinal study looking at both parents’ behavior. He found that children growing up in single or same-sex parent families do not
found that the quality of fathers attachment with infants was to do with play and develop any differently from those in a two-parent heterosexual family.
stimulation, and less to do with nurturing.
Fathers as primary carers Why don’t fathers become primary caregivers? May just be due to
When fathers take on the role of being the primary caregiver, they adopt behaviors traditional gender roles, in which women are expected to be more nurturing
that is associated with mothers. Field found that primary caregiver fathers spent than men. Biological reasons such as female hormones e.g. estrogen create
more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers. higher levels of nurturing and therefore women are biologically pre-
These behaviors are related to building a strong attachment. disposed to be the primary caregiver.
, SCHAFFER’S STAGES OF
ATTACHMENT
Schaffer and Emerson – Glasgow babies Stages of attachment
Investigated the formation of early attachment. Stage 1 – Asocial stage
Method First few weeks
• 60 babies from Glasgow Behaviors towards human objects and humans is quite similar. Show some preference towards familiar
• Researchers asked the mothers questions about individuals and are happier in the presence of humans.
the kind of protest that their babies showed in 7 Stage 2 – Indiscriminate attachment
everyday separations 2-7 months
• E.g. adult leaving the room – separation anxiety Babies display more observable social behavior. Show a preference for people rather than inanimate objects.
• E.g. infants anxiety response to unfamiliar adults Accept cuddles and comfort from any adult. Do not show stranger anxiety or separation anxiety at this stage.
– stranger anxiety Stage 3 – Specific attachment
Findings 7 months
• Between 25-32 weeks of age, babies showed Most patients display anxiety towards strangers and show separation anxiety. At this point a specific
signs of separation anxiety towards one adult attachment is formed, 65% of the time this is the biological mother.
(usually mother) this is the specific attachment Stage 4 – Multiple attachment
• By age 40 weeks, 80% of the babies had specific Babies start to from multiple attachments away from the primary attachment. These relationships are called
attachment and 30% displayed multiple secondary attachments. Schaffer and Emerson found that 29% of children formed secondary attachments
attachments within a month of forming primary attachment.
(+) Good external validity - carried out in families’ (-) Issues with studying the asocial stage – babies that are young are immobile and have poor co-
own homes with parents observing so babies unlikely ordination meaning it is difficult to make any clear observations.
to be affected by the presence of observers (-) Conflicting evidence for multiple attachments – Bowlby found that most babies form attachments to
(+) Longitudinal study – same children followed up a single main carer before they come capable of developing multiple attachments. However other
regularly throughout their lives. Much better than psychologists believe that babies from multiple attachments from the outset – in collectivist cultures,
cross-sectional designs as it limits any confounding families work together jointly in everything so the baby forms multiple attachments right away.
variables like individual differences if different babies (-) Measuring multiple attachments – just because a baby gets distressed when an individual leaves the
were looked at to save time. room, doesn’t mean they have formed an attachment to them. Bowlby found that babies have
(-) Limited sample size – only used 60 babies all from playmates as well. Babies can get distressed when a playmate leaves the room but this doesn’t signify
the same social class – skilled working-class families attachment.
Reciprocity
INTERACTIONS Difficult to observe infants – hard to know if what were observing is
Infant and caregiver both contribute to the interaction and respond to each other. deliberate changes in expression or just simply hand movements.
For example when an infant smiles, it triggers a smile in the caregiver.
Controlled observations capture fine detail – studies on mothers and
Interactional synchrony infants are filmed so they can be later analysed. This ensures no behavior
Form of rhythmic interaction between infant and caregiver. Infants coordinate their or actions are missed, giving these studies good validity.
actions with caregivers in a kind of conversation, in synchrony.
For example a caregiver who laughs in response to their infants giggling sound Doesn’t give us explanations – Feldman pointed out that observations
when tickling them, experiences synchronized interaction. about synchrony only tell us behavior and don’t tell us their purpose or
Most likely to develop if the caregiver attends fully to the baby, provides playful why they happen.
stimulation when the infant is alert and attentive, and avoids pushing things when
the infant is overexcited. Inconsistent findings on fathers – different researchers have different
research questions, giving different information. Research on fathers as
Attachment figures – role of the father primary caregivers tend to find that fathers take on a maternal role whereas
Parent-infant attachment research on fathers as secondary caregivers look at fathers behaving
Schaffer and Emerson found that most babies did become attached to their mother differently from mothers.
first and within a few weeks formed secondary attachments to other members,
including the father. If fathers have a distinct role then why aren’t children without fathers
75% of babies formed an attachment with their father within 18 months. different? Grossmans study found that fathers had an important role in play
The role of the father and stimulation in children's development. However other studies have
Grossman carried out a longitudinal study looking at both parents’ behavior. He found that children growing up in single or same-sex parent families do not
found that the quality of fathers attachment with infants was to do with play and develop any differently from those in a two-parent heterosexual family.
stimulation, and less to do with nurturing.
Fathers as primary carers Why don’t fathers become primary caregivers? May just be due to
When fathers take on the role of being the primary caregiver, they adopt behaviors traditional gender roles, in which women are expected to be more nurturing
that is associated with mothers. Field found that primary caregiver fathers spent than men. Biological reasons such as female hormones e.g. estrogen create
more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers. higher levels of nurturing and therefore women are biologically pre-
These behaviors are related to building a strong attachment. disposed to be the primary caregiver.
, SCHAFFER’S STAGES OF
ATTACHMENT
Schaffer and Emerson – Glasgow babies Stages of attachment
Investigated the formation of early attachment. Stage 1 – Asocial stage
Method First few weeks
• 60 babies from Glasgow Behaviors towards human objects and humans is quite similar. Show some preference towards familiar
• Researchers asked the mothers questions about individuals and are happier in the presence of humans.
the kind of protest that their babies showed in 7 Stage 2 – Indiscriminate attachment
everyday separations 2-7 months
• E.g. adult leaving the room – separation anxiety Babies display more observable social behavior. Show a preference for people rather than inanimate objects.
• E.g. infants anxiety response to unfamiliar adults Accept cuddles and comfort from any adult. Do not show stranger anxiety or separation anxiety at this stage.
– stranger anxiety Stage 3 – Specific attachment
Findings 7 months
• Between 25-32 weeks of age, babies showed Most patients display anxiety towards strangers and show separation anxiety. At this point a specific
signs of separation anxiety towards one adult attachment is formed, 65% of the time this is the biological mother.
(usually mother) this is the specific attachment Stage 4 – Multiple attachment
• By age 40 weeks, 80% of the babies had specific Babies start to from multiple attachments away from the primary attachment. These relationships are called
attachment and 30% displayed multiple secondary attachments. Schaffer and Emerson found that 29% of children formed secondary attachments
attachments within a month of forming primary attachment.
(+) Good external validity - carried out in families’ (-) Issues with studying the asocial stage – babies that are young are immobile and have poor co-
own homes with parents observing so babies unlikely ordination meaning it is difficult to make any clear observations.
to be affected by the presence of observers (-) Conflicting evidence for multiple attachments – Bowlby found that most babies form attachments to
(+) Longitudinal study – same children followed up a single main carer before they come capable of developing multiple attachments. However other
regularly throughout their lives. Much better than psychologists believe that babies from multiple attachments from the outset – in collectivist cultures,
cross-sectional designs as it limits any confounding families work together jointly in everything so the baby forms multiple attachments right away.
variables like individual differences if different babies (-) Measuring multiple attachments – just because a baby gets distressed when an individual leaves the
were looked at to save time. room, doesn’t mean they have formed an attachment to them. Bowlby found that babies have
(-) Limited sample size – only used 60 babies all from playmates as well. Babies can get distressed when a playmate leaves the room but this doesn’t signify
the same social class – skilled working-class families attachment.
