PSYCH MT.2-PT.7

What is dyadic interaction, and when does it emerge?

Direct, often bodily, interaction between an infant and caregiver,

ssentially, it’s when a baby and caregiver respond to each other’s behaviours, emotions, and expressions.

beginning around 2–3 months.

What happens during the transitional period (5–7 months) between dyadic and triadic interactions?

Infants become increasingly interested in objects and temporarily less interested in dyadic (face-to-face) interactions.

Caregivers scaffold infants’ engagement with objects through structured routines, helping prepare them for triadic interactions.

What is triadic interaction, and when does it emerge?

Interaction involving an infant, another person, and an object,

Essentially, instead of just interacting with their caregiver, babies begin including objects in their social interactions!

beginning around 9–10 months.

What is joint attention?

Following another person's attention toward an object or event so that both individuals attend to the same thing.

What developmental abilities are involved in triadic interaction?

Joint attention, understanding reference (communication about a shared world), and recognizing other people's intentional actions.

What is protoimperative pointing?

Pointing to request an object or action; the child uses another person as an agent to achieve a goal. Example: pointing at a bottle to request it.

What is protodeclarative pointing?

Pointing to direct or share another person's attention toward something interesting.

Example: pointing at an airplane to show a caregiver.

What is the difference between protoimperative and protodeclarative pointing?

Protoimperative communicates a desire or request; protodeclarative communicates interest and shares attention.

Both influence others without direct physical contact.

Why is protodeclarative pointing developmentally significant?

It reflects shared attention and understanding others as agents of contemplation;

its absence can be an early sign associated with autism.

What is attachment?

An enduring emotional tie between an infant and a specific caregiver that provides security and comfort;

it is a two-way relationship developing over time.

How is attachment different from bonding?

Attachment is the enduring, developing emotional relationship between infant and caregiver;

Attachment: The emotional connection an infant develops toward their caregiver.

Bonding: The emotional connection a caregiver develops toward their infant.

bonding is not synonymous with this attachment relationship.

What does drive-reduction theory propose about attachment?

Attachment is a secondary drive that develops because caregivers satisfy biological needs such as hunger through feeding.

How did Harlow's rhesus monkey studies challenge drive-reduction theory?

Infant monkeys preferred a soft cloth surrogate over a wire surrogate providing food, showing that contact comfort matters beyond feeding.

How does Bowlby's evolutionary theory explain attachment?

behaviours such as crying, smiling, and clinging evolved because they help infants stay close to protective caregivers.

Babies who stayed close to caregivers were more likely to:

• Be protected from predators and danger.

• Receive food and care.

• Survive long enough to reproduce.

What is an internal working model of attachment?

An internal working model is a child’s mental representation of relationships and how worthy they are of them, developed through their early experiences with caregivers.

babies learn what to expect from other people based on how their caregivers treat them.

How do the attachment and exploratory systems interact?

They are complementary and inhibit each other: feeling secure supports exploration, while distress activates attachment-seeking and reduces exploration.

What is a secure base?

A familiar caregiver from whom the infant confidently explores and to whom the infant returns for comfort and emotional support.

What were Bowlby's three propositions about multiple attachments?

1. Most children form more than one attachment.

2. . The number of attachment figures is relatively small.

3. Attachment figures form a hierarchy, with a principal attachment figure (monotropy).

What are Bowlby's four stages of attachment development?

1. Preattachment (birth–6 weeks).

2. . Attachment-in-the-making (6 weeks–6–8 months).

3. . Clear-cut attachment (6–8 months–18 months/2 years).

4. . Reciprocal relationship (18 months/2 years onward).

What characterizes Bowlby's preattachment stage?

Birth–6 weeks: infants use built-in signals to attract caregivers,

without a clearly established attachment preference.

What characterizes attachment-in-the-making?

6 weeks–6–8 months: infants respond differently to familiar caregivers than strangers, but do not yet show separation anxiety.

What characterizes clear-cut attachment?

6–8 months–18 months/2 years: attachment is clearly established, and separation anxiety becomes evident.

What characterizes formation of a reciprocal relationship?

From approximately 18 months–2 years onward:

children increasingly understand caregivers' coming and going, and separation anxiety declines.

What is Ainsworth's Strange Situation?

A standardized laboratory assessment lasting about 20 minutes in which infants experience a sequence of caregiver separations and reunions to assess attachment quality.

What is the most important principle when interpreting Strange Situation behaviour?

Assess the organization, timing, and effectiveness of attachment behaviour—not simply how much the infant cries or whether a specific behaviour occurs.

How does a securely attached infant behave in the Strange Situation?

Uses caregiver as a secure base to explore;

may become distressed during separation;

actively seeks contact at reunion, calms relatively quickly, and resumes exploration.

How does an avoidantly attached infant behave in the Strange Situation?

Explores without much emotional sharing;

often shows little outward separation distress;

avoids or turns away from caregiver at reunion and may focus on toys instead of seeking comfort.

How does a resistant (ambivalent) infant behave in the Strange Situation?

Shows anxiety and little exploration even with caregiver present; becomes very distressed at separation;

seeks contact but simultaneously resists comfort at reunion and struggles to settle.

What characterizes disorganized/disoriented attachment?

Attachment behaviour lacks a coherent, organized strategy;

the classification was developed after the original secure, avoidant, and resistant categories.

What is the approximate distribution of attachment patterns in the lecture's North American middle-class sample?

Secure: 65%;

avoidant: 20%;

resistant: 10%;

disorganized/disoriented: 5–10%.

What caregiving patterns are associated with secure attachment?

Harmonious,

sensitive,

accessible,

and responsive caregiving;

infants develop expectations that the caregiver will be available when needed.

What caregiving patterns are associated with avoidant attachment?

Rejection of bids for closeness,

especially bodily contact;

less cuddling and holding,

rigid interactions,

and reduced emotional expression.

Avoidance may be a defensive response to expected rejection.

What caregiving patterns are associated with resistant attachment?

Inconsistent, unpredictable caregiving: sometimes ignoring distress and sometimes interfering with the infant's actions, leading to uncertainty about caregiver responsiveness.

What caregiving circumstances are associated with disorganized attachment?

Higher-risk contexts, including maltreatment, serious caregiver depression without social support, and families experiencing multiple problems.

What factors besides caregiving quality might influence attachment security?

Infant temperament (evidence unclear), family stress, parents' internal working models, and childcare factors such as initial attachment quality, childcare quality, family circumstances, and extent of childcare.