Introduction To Attachment

Reciprocity- an interaction when each person responds to the other and elicts a response from them.

Interactional Synchrony- when a mother and infant interact in such a way that thier actions and emotions mirror each other.

The Role of the Father

• seen as less important than mother attachment
• role in attachment is one more to do with play and less nurturing
• as primary care givers seen that fathers adopt behaviours more typic of mothers
• PCG fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding than secondary caregiver fathers
• show can be nurturing, key is the level of responsiveness and not the gender

Negatives

Hard to know what is happeneing when observing the infants, and what is happening from the infants persepctive for example a change in facial expression. This means that we can't say whether the behaviour is deliberate or not so it is not sound eveidnce of the importance of these.

Observations don't tell us purpose of synchrony and reciprocy, they simply describe, this doesnt tell us their purpose.

Inconsistent findings on fathers this is because different researchers are trying to answer different questions. For example some are investigating the role of fathers as secondary caregiver and others are researching the role of fathers as primary care givers. Can't easily find a definite answer.

If the fathers have such a distinct role wouldnt those without be different as a secondary attachment figure. Children who don't grow up with a fatther figure have shown to not be affected emensily by this showing that the role is not significatly important.

Positives

Controlled observations capture fine detail, they are usually filmed from multiple angles .Can be later analysied. 

Babies don't know/ don't care if they are being filmed so don't change behaviour. Good validity.