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35
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Theodora Li
14/09/2025
Psychology
Introduction to attachment
1,170
•
14 Sept 2025
•
Caregiver-infant interactions and the role of fathers play crucial roles... Show more
This page explores the importance of caregiver-infant interactions in developing attachment and examines the specific role fathers play in this process. The content is divided into three main sections: caregiver-infant interactions, the role of the father, and an evaluation of research methods and findings.
Caregiver-infant interactions are crucial for the development of attachment. Two key concepts in these interactions are reciprocity and interactional synchrony.
Definition: Reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions occurs when each person responds to the other and elicits a response from them, forming an essential part of communication.
Reciprocity develops through alert phases, where babies signal readiness for interaction. Mothers typically respond to infant alertness about two-thirds of the time, though this can vary based on the mother's skill and external factors like stress.
Example: Around 3 months of age, these interactions become more frequent and involve close attention to each other's verbal signals and facial expressions.
Interactional synchrony is another crucial aspect of caregiver-infant interactions.
Definition: Interactional synchrony refers to the temporal coordination of micro-level social behavior between caregiver and infant.
In this process, the caregiver and baby interact with their actions and emotions mirroring each other. Both can initiate interactions and take turns, creating what Brazelton et al. (1975) described as a "dance."
Example: Meltzoff and Moore (1977) observed the beginnings of interactional synchrony in babies as young as 2 weeks old, where infants mirrored adult facial expressions.
The importance of interactional synchrony for attachment development was demonstrated by Isabella et al. , who found that high levels of synchrony correlated with better quality mother-baby attachment.
The role of fathers in attachment has been a subject of significant research:
Attachment to fathers: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that while most babies form their primary attachment to mothers around 7 months, secondary attachments to other family members, including fathers, develop within weeks or months. By 18 months, 75% of infants had formed attachments to their fathers.
Distinctive role for fathers: Grossmann et al. conducted a longitudinal study showing that while mother-infant attachment quality related to children's attachments in adolescence, the quality of fathers' play with infants was more strongly related to adolescent attachments. This suggests fathers may have a different role in attachment, focusing more on play and stimulation rather than emotional development.
Fathers as primary attachment figures: When fathers take on the role of primary caregiver, they can adopt the emotional role typically associated with mothers. Field (1978) found that primary caregiver fathers, like mothers, spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding infants compared to secondary caregiver fathers.
The study of caregiver-infant interactions and the role of fathers in attachment faces several challenges:
Filmed observations: While offering good reliability and validity, these controlled laboratory settings may not fully capture natural behaviors.
Difficulty observing babies: Interpreting a baby's behavior can be challenging due to their limited mobility and subtle expressions.
Developmental importance: Observing behaviors doesn't necessarily reveal their developmental significance.
Confusion over research questions: There's a lack of clarity in some studies about whether they're examining fathers as secondary or primary attachment figures.
Conflicting evidence: Findings vary based on methodology, and studies on children in non-traditional family structures show no significant differences in attachment development.
Highlight: While fathers typically take on distinctive roles in two-parent heterosexual families, the question of whether fathers have a universally distinctive role in attachment remains unanswered due to conflicting evidence and methodological variations.
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Caregiver-infant interactions and the role of fathers play crucial roles in infant attachment development. This summary explores key concepts like reciprocity, interactional synchrony, and the unique contributions of fathers to attachment, highlighting research findings and evaluating methodological approaches.
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This page explores the importance of caregiver-infant interactions in developing attachment and examines the specific role fathers play in this process. The content is divided into three main sections: caregiver-infant interactions, the role of the father, and an evaluation of research methods and findings.
Caregiver-infant interactions are crucial for the development of attachment. Two key concepts in these interactions are reciprocity and interactional synchrony.
Definition: Reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions occurs when each person responds to the other and elicits a response from them, forming an essential part of communication.
Reciprocity develops through alert phases, where babies signal readiness for interaction. Mothers typically respond to infant alertness about two-thirds of the time, though this can vary based on the mother's skill and external factors like stress.
Example: Around 3 months of age, these interactions become more frequent and involve close attention to each other's verbal signals and facial expressions.
Interactional synchrony is another crucial aspect of caregiver-infant interactions.
Definition: Interactional synchrony refers to the temporal coordination of micro-level social behavior between caregiver and infant.
In this process, the caregiver and baby interact with their actions and emotions mirroring each other. Both can initiate interactions and take turns, creating what Brazelton et al. (1975) described as a "dance."
Example: Meltzoff and Moore (1977) observed the beginnings of interactional synchrony in babies as young as 2 weeks old, where infants mirrored adult facial expressions.
The importance of interactional synchrony for attachment development was demonstrated by Isabella et al. , who found that high levels of synchrony correlated with better quality mother-baby attachment.
The role of fathers in attachment has been a subject of significant research:
Attachment to fathers: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that while most babies form their primary attachment to mothers around 7 months, secondary attachments to other family members, including fathers, develop within weeks or months. By 18 months, 75% of infants had formed attachments to their fathers.
Distinctive role for fathers: Grossmann et al. conducted a longitudinal study showing that while mother-infant attachment quality related to children's attachments in adolescence, the quality of fathers' play with infants was more strongly related to adolescent attachments. This suggests fathers may have a different role in attachment, focusing more on play and stimulation rather than emotional development.
Fathers as primary attachment figures: When fathers take on the role of primary caregiver, they can adopt the emotional role typically associated with mothers. Field (1978) found that primary caregiver fathers, like mothers, spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding infants compared to secondary caregiver fathers.
The study of caregiver-infant interactions and the role of fathers in attachment faces several challenges:
Filmed observations: While offering good reliability and validity, these controlled laboratory settings may not fully capture natural behaviors.
Difficulty observing babies: Interpreting a baby's behavior can be challenging due to their limited mobility and subtle expressions.
Developmental importance: Observing behaviors doesn't necessarily reveal their developmental significance.
Confusion over research questions: There's a lack of clarity in some studies about whether they're examining fathers as secondary or primary attachment figures.
Conflicting evidence: Findings vary based on methodology, and studies on children in non-traditional family structures show no significant differences in attachment development.
Highlight: While fathers typically take on distinctive roles in two-parent heterosexual families, the question of whether fathers have a universally distinctive role in attachment remains unanswered due to conflicting evidence and methodological variations.
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Transform this note into: ✓ 50+ Practice Questions ✓ Interactive Flashcards ✓ Full Mock Exam ✓ Essay Outlines
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
