Attachment

Question 1

What is infancy?

Answer 1

Infancy is the period in a childs life before speech

Question 2

What is reciprocity in infants?

Answer 2

research in the 1970s showed that infants co-ordinate actions with caregivers for example they move in rhythm like in conversation
- Brazelton (1979) - the rhythm is important as it enables the carrier to anticipate behaviour and respond this builds up attachment

Question 3

Describe the procedure of Meltoff and Moore experiment?

Answer 3

1977
- adult model displays are of three facial expressions and hand gestures
- dummy placed in mouth when gestuire displayed to prevent response
- dummy removed and childs expression filmed
- infant copied
- shown to an observer to judge behaviour, they did not know the behaviour that was being imitated
- all scores greater than 9.2
1983
- repeated with 3 day old babies this ruled out the idea that imitation learned

Question 4

is the imitation in the infants real or pseudo-imitation?

Answer 4

Meltzoff and Moore thought that the imitation was intentional whereas John Piaget believed that the response was training

• training - infant repeats behaviour that was rewarded (with a smile) therefore operant conditioning and pseudo - imitation
• intentional - Murry and Trevarthen - they used 2 month olds which interacted with there mother on a webcam in real time then in not real time, when the mother did not interact and respond the baby became distressed this provbed that they were an active part in the relationship

Question 5

what were the problems with Meltzoff and Moore study

Answer 5

• constant moving mouths and expressions therefore difficult to distinguished.
  This was fixed by filming the babies and using an outside observer
• failure to replicate - the Koepke et al was less carefully controlled

Question 6

what were the problems with the Murry and Thervarthen study?

Answer 6

in another study Marian et al, the infants did not react

Question 7

What proves that the infants response is intentional?

Answer 7

Abravanel and DeYoung - tested 5 week olds - little response to objects that showed tongue and mouth movements therefore specific response to humans

Question 8

What does interacting do to the baby?

Answer 8

Isabella et al - strong infant to caregiver relationship the greater the interactional synchrony
Heiman - infants that had more imitation had a better relationship

Question 9

Whats the value of the research in the Meltzoff and Moore study?

Answer 9

It proved

• connection between what the infant sees and imitation associate their own acts and underlying mental states
• project there own experiences onto others performing similar acts
• acquire an understanding of what people are feeling and thinking

Question 10

Describe Lorenz procedure

Answer 10

• took some gosling eggs and divided them into 2 groups
• one group with natural mother other in incubator
• when the incubator eggs hatched the first moving object they saw was Lorenz
• to test the imprinting Lorenz marked the chicks then mixed them up

Question 11

Describe Lorenz findings

Answer 11

• Goslings divided themselves up
• incubator chicks flowed Lorenz
• imprinting restricted to definite period of time called the critical period
• some animals do not imprint on humans

Question 12

What were the long lasting effects of Lorenz study?

Answer 12

• irreversible
• long lasting
• preference on later mate, they chose to mate with object on which they imprinted

Question 13

What was Harlow’s hypothesis?

Answer 13

a mothers love is not based on feeding

Question 14

What was Harlow’s Procedure?

Answer 14

• created 2 wire mothers with different heads
• one mother was wrapped in cloth
• 8 monkeys studied for 165 days
• 4 monkeys had milk bottle on cloth mother and the other 4 on wire mother
• measurements made to how long spent with each and responses made when frightened

Question 15

What was Harlow’s findings?

Answer 15

• all 8 spent most time with cloth mother even when it did not have the feeding bottle
• those who fed on wire only spent small amount of time there
• when frightened they clung to cloth
• when playing with new toy they had one paw on cloth mother

Question 16

What was the long lasting effects of Harlow’s study?

Answer 16

• they were socially and sexually abnormal when older and did not play with other monkeys or cradle their offspring
• after 3 months they could recover but after 6 months they could not
• critical period

Question 17

What was the research supporting imprinting?

Answer 17

Guiton (1966) - Leghorn chicks exposed to yellow gloves and imprinted on them, later they tried to mate with the yellow gloves

Question 18

What was the criticism of imprinting?

Answer 18

Guiton found it could be reversed

Question 19

What was the confounding variable in Harlow’s study?

Answer 19

2 different heads therefore it varied systematically with the IV

Question 20

What was the problem with generalising animal studies to humans?

Answer 20

Humans differ to animals as we make more conscious decisions but Schauffer and Emerson supported that infants are not attached to people who feed them

Question 21

What were the ethical problems of Harlow’s study?

Answer 21

• left emotional harm

- significant effect and better care available

Question 22

who was the person who first investigated classical conditioning?

Answer 22

Ivan Palov

Question 23

Explain classical conditioning in terms of building up attachment

Answer 23

begins with an innate stimulus response in this case it is food, this provided the innate which is pleasure

1. the food is the UCS (unconditioned stimulus) and the pleasure is the UCR (unconditioned response)
2. during the infants first weeks it learns things that associate with the UCS for example who feed them this becomes the neutral stimuli (NS)
3. if the NS is consistently associated with the UCS then it will take on its own properties and produce the same response as the UCS
4. therefore the NS becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) and provides a conditioned response (CR)

Question 24

who came up with operant conditioning?

Answer 24

BF Skinner, John Dollard, Neal Miller

Question 25

explain operant conditioning in terms of building an attachment

Answer 25

- caused by operant conditioning and drive reduction theory 1. a drive motivates a behaviour for example decreasing discomfort e.g. feeling hungry 2. the infant is fed and this discomfort is decreased causing pleasure and reward this is a positive reinforcement 3. the food is the primary reinforce 4. person supplying the food is therefore the secondary reinforce

Question 26

Who came up with social learning theory?

Answer 26

Albert Bandura, Dale Hay, Joe Vespo

Question 27

What is social learning theory?

Answer 27

children observe parents attachment behaviours and mirror this, if they behave appropriately they are rewarded

Question 28

Behavioursists v non-behaviourists - research with animals

Answer 28

Behaviourists - believe that humans learn the same way as animals therefore we can generalise the way we behave non behaviourists - attachment involve innate predispositions and mental activity that is explained by conditioning - behaviourists - oversimplified version of human behaviour therefore lacks validity

Question 29

Evaluation of learning theory | Is it all down to food?

Answer 29

other studies show other elements impact attachment for example Harlow, Schauffer and Emerson

Question 30

advantages of learning theory?

Answer 30

does explain some of it - infants do learn through associationa dn reinforcement - attention and response from caregiver could be main reason for attachment - responsiveness is something that infants imitate and therefore learn how to conduct a relationshiop

Question 31

why id drive reduction theory largely ignored?

Answer 31

- only explains a limited number of behaviours, - many things people do have nothing to do with reducing discomfort - some people increase discomfort - does not explain secondary reinforcement - they do not reduce discomfort yet are reinforcing

Question 32

why is Bowlby's theory better?

Answer 32

explains why attachment forms offers advantages of attachment better explantnations of the facts

Question 33

what are the stages of attachment?

Answer 33

stage1 - the asocial stage stage 2 - indiscriminate attachment stage 3 - specific attachment stage 4 - multiple attachments

Question 34

What is the purpose of stage 1 and what is its name

Answer 34

the asocial stage - birth - 2 months - similar response to all objects - starts to show preference towards social stimuli e.g a smile - interactional synchrony and reciprocity plays a role in establishing infants relationship

Question 35

What is the purpose of stage 2 and what is its name

Answer 35

indiscriminate attachment - 2 - 7 months - more social and prefer human contact - can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people - no stranger anxiety and comforted by anyone

Question 36

what is the purpose of stage 3 and what is its name

Answer 36

specific attachment - 7 moths - separation anxiety - primary attachment figure - formed with the person who not spends the most time with them but responds to their needs the best - stranger anxiety

Question 37

what is the purpose of stage 4 and what is its name

Answer 37

multiple attachment - soon after primary attachment - forms multiple attachments these are called secondary attachments - can show separation anxiety towards these attachments

Question 38

describe the Schauffer and Emerson study

Answer 38

- 60 infants from Glasgow from working class families - aged between 5 and 23 weeks - studied till they were 1 year old 1. visited mums every 4 weeks 2. asked infants response to 7 everyday separations 3, asked to describe the type of protest 4. rated on 4 point scale 5. asked who the protests were aimed at

Question 39

what was wrong with Schauffer and Emerson's study?

Answer 39

``` based on mums reports - systematic error and decreases internal validity and reliability due to investigator effects working class families only historically may not apply this decreases external validity ```

Question 40

Are multiple attachments equivalent?

Answer 40

Bowlby - one significant attachment figure this is called monotropy , and other secondary attachments are second to this and used as a safety note Rutter - all attachment figures are equal and all integrated into an infants attachment type

Question 41

cultural variations in attachment stages

Answer 41

collectivist cultures who focus on the group share things such as child care therefore they don't apply to the stages sagi et al - in family based sleeping arrangements attachment with mothers is twice as common than in communal environments

Question 42

whats wrong with stage theories?

Answer 42

suggests development is inflexible this becomes standard by which families are classed at and may be classed as abnormal

Question 43

What is bowlbys main principal of attachment?

Answer 43

Strong attachment and the consequences of strong attachment are adaptive

Question 44

What are the components of Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment?

Answer 44

Why attachment forms? How attachment forms? The consequences of attachment

Question 45

Bowby's monotropic theory if attachment:why attachment forms?

Answer 45

It forms as a survival feature, an infant who is not attached is less well protected than an infant who is attached - attachment is formed in two directions, the caregiver has to also be attached to the infant

Question 46

Bowlby's monotonous theory of attachment: how attachment is formed?

Answer 46

1. Infants have a critical period in which they have an innate drive to become attached - this is usually 3-6 months after this time it becomes very hard to form an attachment 2. Attachment is determined by sensitivity - infants become more attracted to the mothers who are more responsive 3. Social releasers - behaviour that elicits caregiving and forms an attachment 4. Montropy- infants having one special emotional bond, all secondary attachments act as safety nets

Question 47

Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment: consequences of attachment

Answer 47

Internal working model - in short term gives the child an insight into the caregivers behaviour and allows the child to influence behaviour and form a relationship - long term its a template for all future relationships as it generates expectations about what innate relationships our about Continuity hypothesis - individuals who are strongly attached are more socially and emotionally contempt when older

Question 48

Evaluation - Bowlby | Is attachment adaptive?

Answer 48

- attachment develops after 3 months as late mechanisms to protect infants - distant ancestors would have to develop it as soon as possible

Question 49

Evaluation Bowlby | A senstive period rather than critical

Answer 49

Rutter et al suggested there was no critical period although attachments were less likely to form after 6 months but not impossible

Question 50

Evaluation Bowlby | Multiple attachment versus montropy

Answer 50

Multiple attachment- no primary or secondary model but integrated into an internal working model Bowlby - suggested secondary attachments do contribute in social development but there is a hierarchy - prior and glasser agree with Bowlby

Question 51

Evaluation of Bowlby | Continuity hypothesis

Answer 51

according to Bowlby one outcome of attachment is the effect it has on other relationships Sroufe et al proved this - the study followed participants from early infancy to late adolescent and found a continuity between early attachment and later emotional social behaviour. - the ones classified as securely attached were less isolated and more popular and empathetic this supports continuity hypothesis

Question 52

Evaluation of Bowlby | what is the alternative explanation for attachment

Answer 52

kagan - suggests that the infants temperament is what controls attachment behaviour, infants who have an easy temperament are more likely to become strongly attached as its easier to interact with them. - Belsky and Rovine provide evidence for this, for example they found that infants between 1 and 3 days old who were more behaviourally unstable were later classed as developing insecure attachment they also suggested it depended on the mothers responsiveness