Attachment

Question 1

Attachment Theory – Harry Harlow

Answer 1

• Infant rhesus monkeys were separated from their mothers at birth and raised in semi-isolation
• Cloth mom (comfort) > wire mom (food)
• -Demonstrated that mom is used as a secure base
• -Attachment is rooted in social interactions with adult/caregiver

Question 2

Attachment Theory — John Bowlby

Answer 2

• Attachment –emotional bond with specific person; enduring across space and time (6 mos -1.5 yrs)
• -Attachment is innate; quality depends on experiences
• Secure base – presence of trusted caregiver provides sense of security; possible to explore environment
• Caregiver = safe haven when threatened/ insecure; derives comfort/pleasure being near caregiver
• Outcome – internal working model of attachment

Question 3

Attachment Theory – Mary Ainsworth

Answer 3

• Worked with Bowlby in 1950s – empirical support
• Uganda and US – studied mother-infant interactions during infants’ explorations, separations, and reunions
• Quality of infant’s attachment seen in:
• -How much infant uses caregiver as secure base
• -How infant reacts to separations and reunions

Question 4

Attachment Theory – Mary Ainsworth

Answer 4

• Strange Situation
• 7 episodes, 3 min each
• Rate infants’ behaviors, attempts to seek closeness and contact, resistance or avoidance, interactions with stranger

Question 5

Ainsworth: Attachment Styles

Answer 5

• –Secure attachment – secure base, play, checks in, distressed when mom leaves, happy with return, comforted
• About 66% of middle class children in US
• –Insecure/resistant – clingy from beginning, don’t explore, very upset at separation, don’t accept comfort at reunion
• 10% of children
• –Insecure/avoidant – avoid mother, don’t greet her when she returns
• About 15%
• –Disorganized/disoriented – no consistent way of coping with stress of SS; may exhibit fearful smiles, dazed, freeze in behavior; want to approach mom but also see her as source of fear
• About 15% of children

Question 6

Long term effect of Attachment

Answer 6

• MOST at risk if have insecure relationships with both parents
• At least one secure relationship  lower problem behaviors
• Considerable evidence in stability of attachment security
• -Secure -> better peer and romantic relationships; higher grades and school involvement; less aggressive and more pro-social
• -Insecure -> learn to inhibit emotional expressions; won’t seek comfort in others; more antisocial behavior
• -BUT can change in response to environmental changes

Question 7

Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems

Answer 7

[Environment is set of nested structures, each has different level of influence on development]

• Exosystem – contexts/settings that indirectly influences development
• -Ex. The availability of funding for school
• –If high funds available -> lots of resources and support for all students
• –If low funds available -> may reduce availability of books and support for all students
• –May ultimately shape attitudes about value of education for individual
• Macrosystem – greater sociocultural context; general beliefs, values, customs, laws of larger society; historical events
• -Indirectly influences development
• –Ex. Terrorist attacks on September 11th
• -This event led to the creation of the Department of ——Homeland Security -> impacts decisions about safety procedures at national and local levels (exosystem) -> impacts what happens in airports, neighborhoods, and schools (mesosytem and microsystem)

Question 8

Microsystem

Answer 8

–the immediate physical and social environment surrounding the developing person

• -Directly influences development
• –Example: Parents shape physical development (provide nourishment) and social development (modeling relationships)

Question 9

Mesosystem

Answer 9

• Mesosystem – connections among microsystems
• -Directly influences development
• -Example: Parents value reading, which helps child perform better at school

Question 10

Exosystem

Answer 10

• contexts/settings that indirectly influences development
• -Ex. The availability of funding for school
• –If high funds available -> lots of resources and support for all students
• –If low funds available -> may reduce availability of books and support for all students
• –May ultimately shape attitudes about value of education for individual

Question 11

Macrosystem

Answer 11

• greater sociocultural context; general beliefs, values, customs, laws of larger society; historical events
• -Indirectly influences development
• –Ex. Terrorist attacks on September 11th
• -This event led to the creation of the Department of ——Homeland Security -> impacts decisions about safety procedures at national and local levels (exosystem) -> impacts what happens in airports, neighborhoods, and schools (mesosytem and microsystem)

Question 12

Chronosystem

Answer 12

• things change over time!
• -Ex. Getting married -> changes to the microsystem
• –Before marriage, you may live by yourself or with a roommate or parents
• –After marriage, you likely live with your spouse