Key words

What is Attachment

• an emotional bond between two people, usually a mother and a child

What is reciprocity?

• when an infant responds to the actions of another person

What is Interactional Synchrony?

• when an infant mirrors the actions of another person in a coordinated and rhythmic manner

What is bodily contact?

• physical interactions between carer and infant that help to form the attachment bond

What is John Bowlby’s theory about?

• maternal deprivation

• separation from the mother figure in early childhood has serious consequences for emotional and physical development

What are caregiver-infant interactions?

• the behaviours shown between a caregiver and their infant that help attachment to develop

What is caregiverese?

• adults who interact with infants using a high-pitched, slow and repetitive voice

• it aids communication between carer and infant

What does innate mean?

• traits that we are born with rather than acquired or learned

What are alert phases?

• when babies signal to their mother that they are ready for interaction

What is caregiver sensitivity?

• the ability to recognize and respond to an infants needs responsibly

What is stranger anxiety?

• when an infant cries when an unfamiliar person approaches

What is separation anxiety?

• distress when the child is unexpectantly separated from home or a close attachment figure