1.3 - Attachment (set A Caregiver and infant Interaction)

Question 1

Define attachment?

Answer 1

Attachment is a reciprocal (two-way) bond between two individuals - in which each person feels more emotionally secure with the other

• takes a few months to develop

Question 2

Give three attachment behaviours - briefly explain what each of them are?

Answer 2

• proximity - people stay physically closer to those they are attached to
• separation distress - feelings of distress when attachment figure leaves
• secure-base behaviour - explore environment but regularly return to attachment figure

Question 3

Explain how reciprocity links to attachment?

Answer 3

idea that attachments are interactional - care giver and infant initiate and respond to each other in a meaningful way. Both get something out of the interaction, for example pleasure, comfort, security and so on

• reinforced with Tronik et al still face study

Question 4

What is meant by caregiver-infant interaction being reciprocal?

Answer 4

Infant and caregiver are both active contributors in the interaction by taking it in turns responding to each others signals and eliciting a response from the other

Alert phase - baby signals they are ready for interaction

Caregiver response - mother picks up on signals and responds

Question 5

Explain why reciprocity is described as being ‘dance like’?

Answer 5

Reciprocity is a two way interaction where both active contributors take it in turns responding to each others signals and eliciting a response from the other

Question 6

Explain Tronik et al (1979) still face study on reciprocity - explain the method?

Answer 6

Involved mothers who were enjoying a dialogue with theirs babies to stop moving and maintain a static and expressionless face - babies tried to temp the mothers into interaction by smiling

• babies became puzzled and increasingly distressed when their smile did not provoke the ‘usual’ response

Question 7

What are two key findings of Tronkis et al (1979) still face study?

Answer 7

• very young infants have some basic social cognition and social development - able to understand human faces,expressions and connections
• infants engage and anticipate reciprocal responses to their own behaviour

Question 8

Explain Murray and trevarthen 2 month old study (1985)?

Answer 8

Involved infants interacting with their mothers via a video monitor in real time - next, video monitor played a recording of their mother (so the image on the screen was not responding, not in real time)

• infants displayed accuse distress

Question 9

Give the name of two studies on reciprocity?

Answer 9

• 2 months old - Murray and trevarthen
• still face - Tronkis et al

Question 10

Define international synchrony?

Answer 10

takes place when caregiver and infant mirrors what the other is doing, in terms of their facial expressions and behaviour

• interactions are mutually rewarding to the caregiver and infant - helps develop and maintain a healthy attachment bond

Question 11

Explain the findings from Isabella et al (1989) on Interactional synchrony?

Answer 11

Found that high levels of Interactional synchrony was associated with better quality attachment between mother and infant (emotional quality of the relationship was greater)

Question 12

Explain the experiment conducted by meltzoff and Moore (1977) on Interactional synchrony?

Answer 12

Involve a controlled observation into international synchrony in infants where an adult model displayed one of three facial expressions - dummy was first placed in the infants mouth to prevent a response, after the display it was removed and the child’s expression was filmed

Question 13

Explain the findings from meltzoff and Moore (1977) experiment on Interactional synchrony?

Answer 13

Infants as young as 3 days old copied the facial expressions showing the ability to mirror is an innate behaviour - something we are born with

Question 14

Evaluate the strengths of Interactional synchrony - give 4?

Answer 14

• controlled observations (method of research) are well-controlled procedures - fine details of behaviour can be recorded and analysed
• No demand characteristics - babies don’t know or care they are being observed
• Many investigations have returned consistent findings - lots of research’s are finding the same thing
• The research in the area has good validity

Question 15

Evaluate the weaknesses of Interactional synchrony - give 3?

Answer 15

• babies can’t talk, its impossible to tell what is taking place from the infants perspective
• Hand movements and changes of expression could be a coincidence might not be conscious and deliberate
• We can’t tell if there is a meaning, what is there purpose?

Question 16

What was the aim of Schaffer and Emerson’s work (1964)?

Answer 16

Aimed to find out more information about the development of attachment involved them using a large scale longitudinal study

Question 17

Explain the method of Schafer and Emerson (1964), give the time frames of their recordings and what they measured?

Answer 17

over a period of two years they followed 60 infants keeping a detailed record of their observations, the infants were observed every four weeks until they were 1 year old and then again at 18 months - they measured attachment by using separation protests in 7 everyday situations and using stranger anxiety

Question 18

Explain how separation protest was measured in Schaffer and Emerson’s experiment (1964)?

Answer 18

Separation protest in 7 everyday situations - infant left alone with other people or in a similar situation eg in their pram outside or in their cot at night or after being held by and adult - there reaction was measured

Question 19

Explain how stranger anxiety was measured in Schaffer and Emerson’s experiment (1964)?

Answer 19

every visit started with the researcher approaching the infant and noting at what point the infant started to whimper (displaying anxiety)

Question 20

Explain the results of Schaffer and Emerson experiment (1964) - give 4 key findings and explain them?

Answer 20

• half of the children showed their first specific attachment between 25 and 32 weeks
• Intensity of attachment peaked in the first month - large individual differences with intensely attached infants who had mothers who responded quickly to their demands and those that did not interact so where weakly attached to their mothers
• Soon after main attachment was formed the infants became attached to other people with very few only being attached to one person after 18 months (13%)
• In 39% of the cases the person who usually fed,bathed and changed the child were not the child’s primary attachment object

Question 21

What did Schaffer and Emerson do with the results from their experiment (1964) - give the stages and time a child experiences them?

Answer 21

Proposed that infant attachment developed in 4 stages - called it the ‘stages of attachment’

• asocial stage (0-6 weeks)
• indiscriminate attachments (6 weeks - 7 months)
• specific attachment (7 month +)
• multiple attachment (10/11 month +)

Question 22

Describe the attachment stage ‘asocial stage’ give the time frame and key information?

Answer 22

Infants produce similar responses to objects and people with preference for face/eyes

• very young infants are asocial and many kinds of stimuli (both social and non-social) produce a favourable reaction

0 - 6 weeks

Question 23

Describe the attachment stage ‘indiscriminate attachment’ give the time frame and key information?

Answer 23

Enjoy human company, objects become slightly less engaging - no preference to the person providing care and emotional security (respond equally to any caregiver
- starts to get upset when an individual ceases to interact with them
- from 3 months, infants smile more at familiar faces

6 weeks - 7 months

Question 24

Describe the attachment stage ‘specific attachment’ give the time frame and key information?

Answer 24

Infants show a preference for one caregiver and look to particular people for security, comfort and protection
- infant show fear of strangers (stranger fear/anxiety)
- Infant shows unhappiness when separated from a special person (separation anxiety)

7 months +

Question 25

Describe the attachment stage ‘multiple attachment’ give the time frame and key information?

Answer 25

Infant becomes increasingly independent and form several attachments
- attachments were more likely to form with those who responded accurately to the infants signals, not the person they spend more time with

10/11 months

Question 26

Explain the results of Schafer and Emersons study to evaluate their theory?

Answer 26

• 25-32 weeks old - 52% had separation anxiety, stranger anxiety formed 1 month after
• 40 weeks old - 80% had developed a specific attachment, 30% had multiple attachments
• 18 months old - 75% had attachment to father and shown separation anxiety between both parents

Question 27

Explain the strengths of Schaffer’s stages of attachment - give 3?

Answer 27

• Study was carried out longitudinally - same children were followed up and observed better internal validity
• used two different methods of measurement - separation protest and strange anxiety
• more representative - infants studied every month for a year rather than just one month

Question 28

Explain how Schaffer’s and Emerson stages of attachment can be used to check whether a child is developing correctly?

Answer 28

useful application as its based on research evidence - study clearly shows the stages the babies go through when attaching, this can help parent to identify if they are progressing normally through the stages if not it could suggest underlying development issues

Question 29

Explain the benefit of Schaffer and Emerson’s study being longitudinal?

Answer 29

Study was carried out longitudinally - same children were followed up and observed regularly which provides better internal validity as it removes differences between participants (participant variables)

• large sample size for a longitudinal study (60 babies)

Question 30

Explain the weaknesses of Schaffer’s stages of attachment - give 3?

Answer 30

• Unreliable data, had the mothers do the reports on their own children and may have left out negative findings - subjective as its opinions based
• Sample region - all the babies were from the same area and working class - biased results
• outdated - most father would have been working at the time of the study leaving just the mothers at home would effects the formation of attachments

Question 31

Explain how society changes could be a weakness for Schaffer and Emerson’s stages of attachment?

Answer 31

most father would have been working at the time of the study leaving just the mothers at home which would effect the formation of attachments (1960)

• numbers of fathers staying home has increased - society has changed more socially acceptable

Question 32

Explain why it may be hard to measure multiple attachments in infants - reference what bowlby suggested?

Answer 32

may be a coincidence that a baby gets distressed when an individual leaves the room not a clear definition that they are an attachment figure

• bowly says children have play mates aswell as attachments and that they may get distressed when their play mate leaves the room but this is not an attachment

Question 33

explain what Schaffer and Emerson concluded from their study - how does this contrast todays society?

Answer 33

• suggested primary attachment is more likely to be made with the mother - secondary attachment with the father
• in only 3% of babies was the father the primary attachment

However changes in society and expectations in western cultures means that fathers now play a greater role in raising their child, the number of mothers working full time has increased

Question 34

Explain Grossman’s study (2002), what did it involve, what was the key finidng?

Answer 34

Involved a longitudinal study looking at both parents behaviour and its relationship to the quality of attachments

• found fathers role in attachment is different to mothers, as its related with play rather then nurturing

Question 35

Explain the findings of Grossman’s study (2002)?

Answer 35

• Quality of infant attachment with mothers (not fathers) was related to children’s attachment in adolescence
• quality of the fathers play with infants was related to their attachment in adolescence

Question 36

Explain the findings of Israel’s study - what does this suggest about the role of the father?

Answer 36

Found nothing inherently better in women then men that make them ‘better’ at parenting - also suggests that when fathers take on the role of the primary caregiver they adopt behaviours typical of mothers

• primary caregivers develop neural pathways which make them more responsive to the emotions cues of children - found these pathways developed in fathers who were primary caregivers as well as in mothers

Question 37

Evaluate the role of the father, with mention to research?

Answer 37

• research can be conflicting - Grossman found fathers have a distinct role but Israel suggests fathers can take on the mothers role
• some of the research is into fathers as secondary attachment figures others is into primary

Question 38

Explain the implications of research into the role of the father - give a social and economic point?

Answer 38

• some mothers may feel pressured to stay at home with the infant, due to research implying its vital for healthy development
• impacts the economy, paid paternity leave introduced in 2002 allows fathers to stay off home to look after infant, means less people working and earning money

Question 39

Define separation anxiety?

Answer 39

The distress shown by an infant when separated from their caregiver

Question 40

Define stranger anxiety?

Answer 40

The distress shown by an infant when approached or picked up by someone who is unfamiliar

Question 41

Explain why the sample in Schaffer and Emerson’s experiment was biased?

Answer 41

The sample was from a working-class population therefore the findings may apply to that social group and not others - also this was in the 1960s during a time when mothers would stay at home and the fathers would work
- if this experiment was conducted today the results are likely to be different