Individual differences

Question 1

What is the maternal sensitivity hypothesis

Answer 1

Individual differences in infant attachment are due to the sensitivity of the mother

Question 2

What is the temperament hypothesis

Answer 2

A child’s temperament is resposible for the quality of attachment. This focuses on the innate characteristics of the child

Question 3

Ainsworth (1978)

Answer 3

• caregivers of securely attached infants were sensitive to their needs and responded to their infants in an emotionally expressive way
• caregivers of resistant infants often misunderstood their infants behaviour
• caregivers of avoidant infants were uninteresed in their infants-rejected infants and tended to be self-centered

Question 4

Kagan (1984)

Answer 4

• proposed the temperament hypothesis
• infants relationship with PCG can be explained in terms of the infant’s innate temperament
• some infants temperament are better suited to forming attachment than others