Lecture #9

Question 1

Rene Spitz & Attachment

Answer 1

• Initially observed infants in hospital settings
• Noticed that infants who did not receive regular care from an individual caregiver showed “affect hunger”- emotion, impoverished and diminished emotional development
• That is, the infants showed impoverished emotional development and a desire for affection (early on)
• Point of view of parenting from the medical model Looked at children who were being raised in a hospital
• Hints that parenting had to do with your emotional outcome

Question 2

Harlow and the cupboard theory

Answer 2

• The Cupboard Theory of attachment was initially proposed to explain the mother-infant bond
• Infants bonded to the mother because she was a “cupboard” for their needs (e.g., food, water, heat)
• Idea was that you bonded with somebody because they acted like a cupboard. Inside the cupboard you could get food, drink, warmth

Question 3

Significance of Harlow’s monkey experiment

Answer 3

• Reinforced the importance of mother and child bonding
• Suggested the same results apply for human infants
  
  • The timing is critical when it comes to separating a child from the mother
  • 90 days for monkeys and about 6 months for humans
• Bowlby was a psychoanalytical psychologist interested in studying children
• Synthesized evolution, psychoanalysis, and developmental psychology
• Believed that there is an innate psychological mechanism for promoting a bond between caregiver and infant
• Studying relationships, PSTD and children with psychological problems - Found these children with problems psychologically had problems with their parents
• Called it attachment

Question 4

Tenets of attachment

Answer 4

1. Emotional bond has a basic survival value (particularly for our ancestors)
2. Bond is mediated by the CNS
3. Each partner builds a mental working model of the relationship
4. That progression is gradual and sets up later mental models

Question 5

Phase one of attachment

Answer 5

• Pre-attachment (0-6 weeks): the infant is indifferent to particular caregivers (indiscriminate)
• This is likely due to energetic demands of newborns
  Some evidence that newborns do prefer their mothers (prefer her smell)

Question 6

Phase two

Answer 6

• Attachment in the making (2-7 months): infants can discriminate between caregivers and start to build a working model of relationships based on experiences
• Begin to learn social rules and norms
• Limited by lack of object permanence (now disrupted)

Question 7

Phase three

Answer 7

• Clear cut attachment (7-24 months): stranger and separation anxiety appear
• The mother serves as a secure base from which the child can explore their environment
• Separation is actively protested

Question 8

Phase four

Answer 8

• Reciprocal relationships (2yrs+): stranger and separation anxiety begin to diminish as a sense of independent autonomy develops
• Relationship becomes increasingly reciprocal (sharing)

Question 9

Attachment and fathers

Answer 9

• Attachment is independent of the age and sex of the caregiver
• Typically studied in mothers because they are typically the primary caregiver, but fathers, grandparents, and teachers, can all form attachments
• Attachments can differ from each other (e.g., secure with Mom, not with Dad)
• Bond can change over time
• Primary attachment bond – who spend the most amount of time with the child

Question 10

Strange-situation test

Answer 10

• Developed by Mary Ainsworth (Bowlby’s student) after observing mothers in Uganda
  Her goal was to be able to measure attachment
• Involves a parent and infant entering a new room that the child then explores
• The child then has to respond to different situations without the parent
• If the infant is distressed, and then quiet upon return, the infant is said to have secure attachment
• If the infant is distressed and then is inconsolable upon the parents return, it is said to have resistant attachment
• A more recent category is disorganized attachment; the label when the child exhibits a mixture of other categories
• Evidence that attachment styles predict later relationships

Question 11

Attachment Groups

Answer 11

65%- securely attached
20%- insecure avoidant
15%- insecure resistant

Question 12

Modern Mothers

Answer 12

• Mothers are still the primary caregivers
• Women have almost equal power as men (equal rights)
• However, an increasing number of women are working outside of the home
• This has led to conflict in defining the role of mothers and an increase in the number of external caregivers

Question 13

Baumrind’s 4 parenting types

Answer 13

• Authoritative
• Expects child to behave in a mature manner
• Uses rewards more than punishments
• Communicates expectations clearly and provides explanations to help the child understand the reasoning behind the expectations

Question 14

Authoritarian

Answer 14

• Who relies on coercive techniques to discipline the child and displays a low level of nurturance.
• Coercive techniques include threats or physical punishment
• Places firm limits and controls on the child
• Little verbal exchange between the parent and the child Effects on the child
• Does not exhibit a strong social responsibility or sense of independence
• Appears anxious about social comparison

Question 15

Permissive

Answer 15

• Parents who sets few limits on the child’s behaviour
• Makes few demands on mature behaviour
• Allows child to make own decisions about routine behaviours including TV viewing, bedtime, and mealtimes
• Can be moderate to very nurturant

Question 16

Dismissive

Answer 16

• parent who has no limits or warmth, doesn’t care
• Makes few demands on mature behaviour
• With regard to nurturance, they are cool and uninvolved
• Unavailable to support or guide the child

Question 17

Facts about child abuse

Answer 17

• At estimated 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2002
• More than 60% were neglected, 20% physically abused, 10% sexually abused, 7% emotionally abused, 3% other (e.g., medical)

Question 18

Patterns of parenting differ based on ethnicity and SES

Answer 18

• Non-western, non-white and poorer parents tend towards Authoritarian parenting
• Hunter gatherers tend toward permissive

Question 19

Coping with family transitions: children and divorce

Answer 19

• What factors lead to good or poor adjustment in these families?
• age of child
  • Young adolescents have hard times adjusting
  • Amount of stress
  • Temperament of child
  • Parenting styles

Question 20

Siblings

Answer 20

• New siblings tend to lead toward rivalry, if age gap is small
• Improve TOM, act as playmates, support and caretakers
• Percentage of full and half sibling nominated for different measures of solidarity

Question 21

Only children

Answer 21

• Positive self-esteem and achievement motivation
• More obedient and intellectually competent
• Very good peer relations
• Lack playmates, social support

Question 22

Diverse families

Answer 22

• Adoptive and step families show lower levels of functioning
• Gay/ lesbian parents show no differences in adjustment
• Single parenting outcomes vary with stress levels