Attachments

Question 1

what is attachment?

Answer 1

A deep and enduring emotional bond between two people that happens over time in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security.

Question 2

how is attachment shown through?

Answer 2

separation anxiety, proximity seeking, safe base behaviour.

Question 3

what is interactional synchrony?

Answer 3

When two people (infant and caregiver) interact, they tend to mirror each other, including facial expressions and movements ms: adults and babies respond in time to sustain communication example: caregiver and infant may mirror each others facial expression.

Question 4

what is reciprocity?

Answer 4

how 2 people interact both infant and caregiver respond to each others signals and elicit a response like a conversation example: caregiver smile at baby, baby reaches arm out
ms: caregiver interaction is a two-way process in which each party responds to each others signal to sustain interaction. behaviour of each party elicits a response from the other.

Question 5

supporting research for interaction synchrony (paragraph)

Answer 5

A strength of IS is that is has supporting research. For example, Meltzoff and Moore found that when infants between ages 12 and 21 days were shown 3 facial gestures and one manual, that when they videotaped the expressions, they could link it to the adults face. This is important because it illustrates how babies ability to mirror gestures is innate. Therefore, has a degree of validity.

Question 6

supporting research for reciprocity (paragraph)

Answer 6

A strength of R is that is has supporting research. For example, Brazelton et al found that when mothers carried out face to face interactions, the infants moved their bodies in circular motions but when the mother stopped responding, the babies became jerky then avoided gaze and layed there motionless. This is important because it shows how infants respond to caregivers behaviours, reciprocal behaviour is crucial to attachment formation. Therefore, has a degree of validity.

Question 7

discuss research into caregiver infant interactions (essay plan)

Answer 7

description of IS
+ M+M supporting evidence of IS
- low pop validity (link back)
description of R
- B supporting evidence of R
- problems with testing infants behaviour (link back).

Question 8

What are Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

Answer 8

• Asocial stage (first weeks) babies happy with human presence (preference to familiar), behaviour to non human/human is similar
• Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months) don’t show stranger or separation anxiety,not made full attachment, feel closer to families
• Specific attachment (7 months +) now have separation and stranger anxiety, form a primary attachment (mother)
• Multiple attachments (8-12 months) form multiple attachments.

Question 9

what happens in the first stage of attachment?

Answer 9

-Asocial stage (first weeks) babies happy with human presence (preference to familiar), behaviour to non human/human is similar.

Question 10

what happens in the second stage of attachment?

Answer 10

-Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months) don’t show stranger or separation anxiety,not made full attachment, feel closer to families.

Question 11

what happens in the third stage of attachment?

Answer 11

-Specific attachment (7 months +) now have separation and stranger anxiety, form a primary attachment (mother).

Question 12

what happens in the fourth stage of attachment?

Answer 12

-Multiple attachments (8-12 months) form multiple attachments, will still show anxiety but can be comforted by secondary attachment (father, family).

Question 13

what is the role of the father?

Answer 13

fathers have a different role in attachment, their interactions are more boisterous then their mums with more rough and tumble play. To excite children, encourage them to take risks while keeping them safe. This provides them with a secure environment to learn to be brave.

Question 14

Supporting evidence for role of the father (evidence)

Answer 14

(Schaffer and Emerson) found that
- 65% formed first attachment with mother
- 3% with fathers
- 27% formed joint
- 75% of the infants in their study formed a secondary attachment to their father by the age of 18 months.
This suggests that the father is important, but is unlikely to be the first person to which the child develops an attachment to.

Question 15

What is the play like for the role of the father - evidence

Answer 15

Grossman found that the quality of father less important than mother when teens, fathers have a different role in attachment, one that is to do more with play and stimulation than nurturing Geiger found that fathers play and interactions were more rough and tumble play than with mother, but it’s more exciting and pleasurable whereas mothers is more nurturing and affectionate. both have an important role to play in child’s development.

Question 16

what is the fathers level of responsiveness like? - evidence

Answer 16

• Field: father can become the primary attachment figure. She found that primary caregivers, regardless of gender, were more attentive towards the infant and spent more time holding and smiling at them, suggesting that key to attachment is the level of sensitive responsiveness and not gender
• Lamb: children prefer interaction with fathers when in a positive emotional state but with mothers when they’re distressed and need comfort, when father is sole caregiver, they adapt onto this role
• Brown et al: extent of caregiver involvement is important.

Question 17

what is imprinting?

Answer 17

A form of attachment where offspring follows the first large moving object they see. (Lorenz) An innate readiness to develop a strong bond with mother which takes place during a specific time in development. its important for survival and takes place during critical period (12-17 hours).

Question 18

what is contact comfort?

Answer 18

The infant’s need for physical closeness and touching (Harlow’s study).

Question 19

what are the animal studies of attachment?

Answer 19

Lorenz and Harlow.

Question 20

explain the key study that involves animal printing?

Answer 20

Lorenz
- field experiment where he took goose eggs and divided randomly
- 1. half eggs hatched with mother present, in natural environment (nature)
- 2. other half in incubator with Lorenz present, imitating mother sounds when hatched to make sure they imprinted, goose were put under an upturned box and allowed them to mix then see who they go to
- when box removed, they separated into their respective ‘mothers’ half to goose, half to lorenz
- geese follow first moving object seen during 12-17 hours
- there’s a critical period where they imprint. If no attachment within 32 hours, unlikely any attachment will develop.

Question 21

what concept did lorenz discover?

Answer 21

showed that there is a critical period to attachment through his study of imprinting
- im is the instinctive formation of attachment as a result of particular stimuli
- im must occur during specific time frame - critical period - im not caused by feeding.

Question 22

explain the key study that involves contact comfort?

Answer 22

baby monkeys removed from real mothers after birth, then kept in complete isolation put into a cage with a wire mother producing milk and a towelling mother producing no milk there were fear conditions, where monkeys present with scary mechanical animals to observer whether they would use respective mothers as a safe base results: monkeys spent more time with cloth mother even is she had no milk (23 h cloth, 1h wire(milk)) if frightening object placed in cage, infant took refuge with cloth mother; its ‘safe base’ so it would explore more when present conc: infants develop attachment to the person offering contact comfort.

Question 23

what is learning theory based on?

Answer 23

behavioural approach (we are born a blank slate = no natural behaviours, also states that we attach to those who feed us).

Question 24

what is classical conditioning?

Answer 24

Learning through association.

Question 25

what is attachment through classical conditioning?

Answer 25

UCS -> UCR UCS + NS -> UCR CS -> CR - NS always becomes CS.

Question 26

baby example of attachment through classical conditioning

Answer 26

food = happy baby food + mum = happy baby mum = happy baby eventually positive emotions turn into attachment.

Question 27

what is operant conditioning?

Answer 27

Learning whether or not to repeat behavior through consequences.

Question 28

baby example of attachment through operant conditioning

Answer 28

babies feel hungry ( an innate, primary drive) hunger motivates a drive reduction (satisfying an unpleasant feeling caused by the drive, in this case, feeding to reduce unpleasant feeling of hunger) babies cry to attract attention of caregiver to encourage them to provide food baby learns that crying = food.

Question 29

what is positive reinforcement?

Answer 29

additional of something positive to continue a behaviour (+ve).

Question 30

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 30

removal of something negative to continue a behaviour (-ve).

Question 31

what is primary reinforcement?

Answer 31

the thing that you want (something pleasurable).

Question 32

what is secondary reinforcement?

Answer 32

the thing that gives you what you want.

Question 33

what is bowlbys monotropic explanation of attachment

Answer 33

bowlby believes that we have an innate desire to have babies and form an attachment with them, babies have an innate ability to find and form an attachment.

Question 34

learning theory vs bowlbys theory

Answer 34

LT- environment BT- genes (nature vs nurture).

Question 35

acronym to remember Bowlbys monotropic theory

Answer 35

ASCMI (ask me) adaptive, social releasers, critical period , monotropic, internal working model.

Question 36

what is adaptive?

Answer 36

forming an attachment is adaptive in order to survive, it's a part of natural selection.

Question 37

what is social releasers?

Answer 37

it's a behaviour designed to elicit an attachment response/ behaviour (baby smile makes u smile) babies have social releasers that elicit a response, adults nearby behaviour elicit a response.

Question 38

what is monotropic?

Answer 38

we have one very special attachment, specifically the mother (the most important one), all other attachments are secondary.

Question 39

what is critical period?

Answer 39

* Bowlby suggested that there is a critical period around 0-2 1/2 years in which we form an attachment * He viewed this more as a sensitive period, if attachment has not formed by now the child will struggle to form future attachments (mental health disorders/poor relationships (quality)) * later on he added the sensitive period of 2.5 to 5 years where if u still haven't formed an attachment, you can still form an attachment where long term consequences are minimised.

Question 40

what is internal working model?

Answer 40

it serves as a model of what future relationships are like - monotropic attachments form a mental schema for relationships, the child's future relationship is based on this.

Question 41

what is the continuity hypothesis?

Answer 41

(after Ainsworth) if you have a secure relationship as a child, you will have a secure relationship as an adult.

Question 42

what type of observation was the strange situation?

Answer 42

covert, non-participant, controlled.

Question 43

What was tested for in the Strange Situation?

Answer 43

safebase behaviour, separation anxiety, reunion behaviour.

Question 44

what is safebase behaviour?

Answer 44

how far away the child is willing to explore knowing the mother is there.

Question 45

what is separation anxiety?

Answer 45

how upset the child gets when mother leaves.

Question 46

what is reunion behaviour?

Answer 46

how the infant responds when the mother returns.

Question 47

what are the 8 stages in the Strange Situation?

Answer 47

1. Mother and baby play 2. Stranger adult enters room 3. Stranger interacts with baby 4. First separation: mother leaves room 5. First reunion: mother re-enters and stranger leaves 6. Second separation: mother leaves the room 7. Stranger returns 8. Second reunion: mother re-enters and stranger leaves.

Question 48

what are the findings of the Strange Situation?

Answer 48

there are 3 types: securely attached (B), insecure avoidant (A) and insecure resistant (C).

Question 49

what is securely attached?

Answer 49

(type b) * healthy relationship with mum * moderate separation anxiety * good safe base * easy to comfort on reunion.

Question 50

what is insecure avoidant?

Answer 50

(type a) - poor attachment with mum - low sep/str anxiety - no safe base - little response on reunion.

Question 51

what is insecure resistant?

Answer 51

(type c) - strong attachment with mum - high anxiety - high str/sep anxiety - poor safe base - resist comfort on reunion.

Question 52

what is the caregiver sensitivity hypothesis?

Answer 52

maintains that a child's attachment style is dependent on the behaviour their mother shows towards them. - 'Sensitive' mothers are responsive to the child's needs and respond to their moods and feelings correctly. Sensitive mothers are more likely to have securely attached children. In contrast, mothers who are less sensitive towards their child, for example, those who respond to the child's needs incorrectly or who are impatient or ignore the child, are likely to have insecurely attached children. - Securely attached infants are associated with sensitive and responsive primary care. - Insecure-avoidant infants are associated with unresponsive primary care. The child comes to believe that communication of needs has no influence on the mother/father. Insecure-resistant attached infants are associated with inconsistent primary care. Sometimes the child's needs and met, and sometimes they are ignored by the mother / father.

Question 53

what does the type of attachment tell us about the caregiver?

Answer 53

secure - sensitive, emotionally responsive, supportive insecure avoidant - rejecting, often doesn't respond to child's need insecure resistant - inconsistent, sometimes responds to child's needs.

Question 54

what is universality?

Answer 54

the extent a theory applies to anyone regardless of culture therefore the behaviour is innate.

Question 55

what is individualistic cultures?

Answer 55

cultures that value independence and the importance of individual - tends to be western countries.

Question 56

what is collectivist cultures?

Answer 56

empathise the importance of the group so mainly work towards the success of collectiveness - tends to be eastern countries.

Question 57

describe the study that involves cultural variation of attachment?

Answer 57

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg 32 studies in 8 countries consisting of 1990 children were meta-analysed - Germany had highest insecure avoidant 35%, Japan had lowest of 5% - Britain has highest secure 75% and lowest insecure resistance 3%, china had least secure 50% - Israel had highest insecure resistant 29%, then Japan of 27% - Variation within cultures was 1.5 greater than the variation between cultures, rural vs urban - Secure attached children is the most common universally; attachments are innate - crossculuture diff - not all babies globally are securely attached - 18 of studies used were American, China and England had 1.

Question 58

what study involves criticisms of investigating cultural variations in attachment using the 'strange situation'?

Answer 58

Takahashi replicated Ainsworth SS in Japan and China, He found a greater amounts of insecure-resistant attachment , they found this was a rural vs urban difference - rural mothers rarely left their children alone while working in rice fields, so mothers would have the babies by their bodies in a sling so, being separated from mothers in the SS was particularly distressing, therefore they might've been incorrectly labeled as insecure resistant.

Question 59

What is deprivation?

Answer 59

to lose something, in context of attachment = its to disrupt an attachment.

Question 60

what is maternal deprivation?

Answer 60

The emotional and intellectual consequences of separation between a child and mother.

Question 61

what happens if u suffer deprivation within the critical period? how can it be reversed?

Answer 61

there will be long term consequences. However, if there's a mother substitute, then the consequences can get reversed.

Question 62

what does the maternal deprivation hypothesis include

Answer 62

1. The value of maternal care: mothers love is as important as physical care 2. Critical Period: if child has disruption within Critical period (2 1/2 years), then there will be various long term consequences 3. Long term consequences: - Low IQ - emotional problems: depression/anxiety - juvenile delinquency: criminal behaviour - affectionless psychopathology: (mental health) characteristics as not having guilt for their actions and empathy for others.

Question 63

what is institutionalisation?

Answer 63

the effects of living in places like hospitals or orphanages for a long period of time with very little emotional care provided. (In attachment research we are interested in the effects of institutional care on children's attachment and subsequent development.)

Question 64

what are orphan studies?

Answer 64

These concern children placed in care because their parents cannot look after them. An orphan is a child whose parents have either died or have abandoned them permanently.

Question 65

what are the effects of institutionalisation?

Answer 65

Disinhibited attachment, intellectual delay and disorganised attachment.

Question 66

describe the disinhibited attachment

Answer 66

the child is equally friendly and affectionate towards people they know well or who are strangers = may be an adaptation to multiple caregivers during their sensitive period so were not able to form a secure attachment with them (this is unusual behaviour for child as they show stranger anxiety by 2 years) (supported by Rutter and Zeanah)

Question 67

describe intellectual delay

Answer 67

(Supported by Rutter) institutionalised children often show signs of intellectual delay, the effect is not as shown if children are adopted before 6 months of age = Low IQ levels.

Question 68

describe disorganised attachment

Answer 68

(supported by Zeanah) They show signs and symptoms of all attachment types. - Confused, contradictory behaviours, may interact strangely with the parent.

Question 69

What study looks at English and Romanian adoptees?

Answer 69

(Rutter) to what extent good care makes up for poor early experiences in childhood 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain were longitudinally assessed (physically, cognitive and emotional) between ages of 4-15, 52 british children adopted same time (control group). Half orphans showed intellectual delay when they came to UK. Recovery rates related to ages of adoption; before 6 months mean IQ: 102, between 6 months and 2 years mean IQ: 86, after 2 years mean IQ 77. children adopted after 6 months had disinhibited attachments (they were: clingy and attention-seeking).

Question 70

What study is the Bucharest (Romania) early intervention project?

Answer 70

(Zeanah et al) Strange situation was used on 95 children (ages 12-31 months old), who has spent most time in institutional care and a group of 50 children who were never in institutional care (control group) control group were mainly securely attached (74%) institutional group mainly had disorganised (65%) or disinhibited (44%) attachments supports the view that children who are raised in institutions are less likely secure attachments due to not having a primary attachment and or secondary.

Question 71

what does Bowlby's Internal Working Model state?

Answer 71

there is a link between attachment types and the quality of later relationships.

Question 72

what are the 3 main features of Internal working model?

Answer 72

1. Model of others as being trustworthy 2. Model of the self as valuable 3. Model of the self as effective when interacting with others.

Question 73

What is the 'self-model'?

Answer 73

model that will determine how the individual sees themselves, which will in turn impact their self-confidence, self-esteem and to which extent they depend on others.

Question 74

What is the 'other-model'?

Answer 74

model that will determine how an individual perceives social interactions with other people and what they expect from them.

Question 75

What study looks at the influence of early attachment on childhood relationships?

Answer 75

(Scroufe et al) 200 mothers with parental difficulties with 12-18 months infants, using the Strange Situation Securely attached children were most high for social competence and were less isolated and more popular than insecurely attached children Supports claim that early attachment influences later childhood emotional/social behaviour.

Question 76

What study looks at the influence of early attachment on adulthood romantic relationships?

Answer 76

(Hazen and Shaver) 620 participants replied to a 'love quiz' on an American newspaper - self-report questionnaire. It looked at 3 aspects about the respondent; their current relationship, their general love experiences and their attachment type 56% were securely attached and were most likely to have positive and longer lasting romantic experiences 25% were insecure avoidant and they tended to be jealous and afraid of intimacy Supports that early attachment does influence adult relationships.