Attachement

Question 1

Define Interactional synchrony

Answer 1

When a mother and infant reflect each other’s emotions and actions in a coordinated way

Question 2

Identify Schaffer’s stages of attachment

Answer 2

Asocial
Indiscriminate
Specific
Multiple

Question 3

Describe various roles of the father which research has shown us

Answer 3

• Grossman (2002) found that fathers have more of a play and stimulation role
• Tiffany Field (1978) found fathers can be primary caregivers and adopt the behaviours of mothers

Question 4

Define an Internal working model and explain its importance

Answer 4

Internal working model is the mental representation a child has of how their relationship with their primary caregiver is

Powerful effect of future relationships, as IWM serves as model for other relationships

Question 5

What is a limitation of research into internal working models

Answer 5

IWM are unconscious yet the methods used to study them are conscious (self report methods), therefore its not a good method to assess them

Question 6

What method is used to measure attachment type in children

Answer 6

Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

Question 7

What are the behaviours that Ainsworth used to judge attachment (5)

Answer 7

• Proximity seeking
• Secure base behaviour and exploration
• Response to Reunion
• Separation anxiety
• Stranger anxiety

Question 8

List the episodes of the strange situation

Answer 8

1) Child & mother enter unfamiliar playroom.
2) Child encourage to explore.
3) Stranger comes in and tries to interact with child.
4) Mother leaves child and stranger together.
5) Mother returns and stranger leaves.
6) Mother leaves.
7) Stranger returns.
8) Mother returns and is reunited with child.

Question 9

List three attachment types

Answer 9

Insecure Avoidant
Insecure Resistant
Secure

Question 10

What personality will an insecure-resistant child tend to develop?

Answer 10

A controlling and argumentative personality.

Question 11

What can we conclude from Harlow’s research?

Answer 11

• Monkey have an innate need for contact comfort
• Attachment concerns emotional security more than food
• Contact comfort is linked with lower levels of stress and a willingness to explore

Question 12

Describe the two laws of Bowlby’s monotropic theory

Answer 12

Law of continuity - the more constant and predictable the relationship is with the mother, the stronger the attachment
Law of accumulated separation - for there to be no future problems and the attachment to be secure and healthy, there should be no separation between the mother and the infant

Question 13

Define imprinting

Answer 13

When a young animal eventually comes to recognise another animal/person/ thing as a parent

Question 14

Give two examples of cultural variation studies into attachments

Answer 14

• Van lizendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988) did a meta-analysis of 32 studies in 8 countries which looked into proportions of attachment types.
• Simonella et al (2014) - Italian study where the strange situation was used to measure attachment in 70 6-12
  month-old babies.