Psychology A2 Notes
Early Relationships
Children that do not receive continuous loving care, and do not form attachments with the care-giver, can grow up to be emotionally and cognitively damaged. Attachment is defined as: ‘a long enduring emotionally meaningful bond to a particular individual’¸ this bond is usually characterised by a desire for proximity to the care-giver and by separation distress when the bond is broken. The attachment object offers comfort and acts as a source of security.
THE ROLE OF THE CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS
Positive caregiver-infant interaction functions to develop and maintain attachment. Often unconsciously, adults interacting with babies tune in to the baby’s needs, modifying speech and actions accordingly.
Examples of caregiver-infant interactions are:
Immediate physical contact: Mothers who have immediate contact show more tender interactions.
Interactional Synchrony: This caregiver-infant interaction results in reciprocity, with both parties eliciting responses from the other.
Modified language/Motherese: Motherese is usually slow, high-pitched and repetitive made of short sentences. It contributes to the effectiveness of interactional synchrony as it often signals to the baby to interact.
Imitation: Within the first months of life, evidence has shown babies to be innately social beings who actively take part in relationship formation, through their capacity to imitate adults’ facial expressions.
ANIMAL RESEARCH
Human infants are not alone in their need for early social interaction. Harlow’s work with Rhesus monkeys showed how infant monkeys preferred to be close to the cloth mother even though the wire mother provided food.
Evaluation:
From a biological standpoint all species are genetically related in some way so it may be therefore justifiable to generalise findings because there is some behavioural continuity. We share about
Children that do not receive continuous loving care, and do not form attachments with the care-giver, can grow up to be emotionally and cognitively damaged. Attachment is defined as: ‘a long enduring emotionally meaningful bond to a particular individual’¸ this bond is usually characterised by a desire for proximity to the care-giver and by separation distress when the bond is broken. The attachment object offers comfort and acts as a source of security.
THE ROLE OF THE CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS
Positive caregiver-infant interaction functions to develop and maintain attachment. Often unconsciously, adults interacting with babies tune in to the baby’s needs, modifying speech and actions accordingly.
Examples of caregiver-infant interactions are:
Immediate physical contact: Mothers who have immediate contact show more tender interactions.
Interactional Synchrony: This caregiver-infant interaction results in reciprocity, with both parties eliciting responses from the other.
Modified language/Motherese: Motherese is usually slow, high-pitched and repetitive made of short sentences. It contributes to the effectiveness of interactional synchrony as it often signals to the baby to interact.
Imitation: Within the first months of life, evidence has shown babies to be innately social beings who actively take part in relationship formation, through their capacity to imitate adults’ facial expressions.
ANIMAL RESEARCH
Human infants are not alone in their need for early social interaction. Harlow’s work with Rhesus monkeys showed how infant monkeys preferred to be close to the cloth mother even though the wire mother provided food.
Evaluation:
From a biological standpoint all species are genetically related in some way so it may be therefore justifiable to generalise findings because there is some behavioural continuity. We share about