Attachment Flashcards
1
Q
State the animal studies for attachment
A
Lorenz’s goslings
Harlow monkeys
2
Q
Method for Lorenz’s goslings
A
- Split a group of 12 goslings into 2 groups of 6
- 6 were born naturally with their mother, other group of 6 were born in an incubator with Lorenz, making sure he was the first large moving object the goslings saw therefore Lorenz would be their imprint and the mother would be the other 6’s imprint
- Lorenz marked them so he knew who were born naturally and who were born in incubator
- He then put all 12 goslings in incubator, the mother outside on one side and Lorenz on the other
3
Q
Results for Lorenz’s goslings
A
- Immediately after birth, the naturally born followed the mother, and the incubator hatched goslings followed Lorenz
- When all 12 goslings were put together, the 6 went to the mother and other 6 went to Lorenz
- Lorenz notes, imprinting would only occur within a period of few hours (Critical period)
4
Q
Conclusion for Lorenz goslings
A
Shows attachment is formed through security through imprinting, for goslings
5
Q
Evaluation for Lorenz goslings
A
- The fact imprinting is irreversible suggests it’s biological
- Attachment behaviour of geese is not necessarily the same as humans
- The fact imprinting has a set time period, influenced Bowlby’s idea of a critical period in human babies
- Ethical issues, as they’re animals therefore can’t give informed consent
6
Q
Method for Harlows monkeys
A
- 16 monkeys split into 2 groups of 8
- Both groups had a surrogate mother, one wired other group had a cloth mother to feed off of
- Amount of time spent with each mother recorded
- Monkeys frightened with a loud noise to test for mother preference when stressed
- Larger cage to test monkeys exploration
7
Q
Results for Harlows monkeys
A
- ALL Monkeys preferred contact with cloth mother, monkeys with the wired mother only went to it for food
- When frightened, all monkeys clung to cloth mother for safety
- In larger cage, monkeys with cloth mother explored more
8
Q
Conclusion for Harlows monkeys
A
Monkeys form an attachment through contact-comfort, not from food
9
Q
Evaluation of Harlows monkeys
A
- Study involves animals, therefore cannot generalise
- Involving animals, therefore cannot ask for informed consent, therefore ethical issues are present
- More ethical issues, as baby monkeys are separated causing stress to them
10
Q
2 explanations of attachment
A
1) The learning theory
2) Bowlbys monotropic theory
11
Q
What is the learning theory
A
The belief that attachments develop though conditioning processes
12
Q
What are the two types of learning theory that apply to development of attachments
A
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
13
Q
What is the learning theory also known as
A
Cupboard love theory
- as cupboard contains food
14
Q
What is classical conditioning
A
Occurs when a response produced naturally by a stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus
15
Q
Explain how classical conditioning is used to form attachments
A
- Attachments are learned by the stimulus of food(UCS), producing pleasure(UCR), being paired with a caregiver(NS).
- After lots of presentations of caregiver and food being paired, infant learns to associate pleasure(CR) solely with caregiver(CS) without any need for food
16
Q
Explain how classical conditioning is used to form attachments
Simple version
A
Before learning= food(UCS) > pleasure(UCR)
During learning= food(UCS) + caregiver(NS)—> pleasure(UCR)
After learning= caregiver(CS) > pleasure(CR)
17
Q
What’s operant conditioning based on in forming an attachment
A
Based on Thorndikes ‘Law of effect’, where any action that has a pleasurable action will be repeated
18
Q
What are pleasurable outcomes known as
A
Reinforcements
19
Q
What are reinforcements
A
They strengthen the behaviour, making it more likely to occur again
20
Q
What positive reinforcement
A
Involves receiving something pleasurable for performing a desired behaviour
E.g pocket money for doing chores
21
Q
What’s negative reinforcement
A
Involves not receiving something non-pleasurable for performing a desired behaviour
E.g. Not being grounded for tidying room
22
Q
What happens when behaviour is positively reinforced
A
It’s repeated
23
Q
What happens when behaviour results in punishment
A
It’s unlikely to be repeated
24
Q
Explain how operant conditioning is used to form an attachment
A
- Hungry infant feels uncomfortable and is driven to reduce discomfort.
- When fed it feels pleasure(reward)
- Food is a primary reinforcer as it directly satisfies hunger
- Caregiver is a secondary reinforcer as he/she is associated with primary reinforcer (food)
- So attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward (food)
25
Explain how operant conditioning is used to form an attachment
Baby hungry —>Crying—>Food from caregiver
26
What does Bowlbys monotropic theory suggest
Children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments, as this will help them survive
27
What’s the determinant for attachment according to Bowlby
Care and responsiveness, not food
28
What are the 5 key features for Bowlbys monotropic theory
1) Innate
2) Social releasers
3) Monotropy
4) Internal working model
5) Critical period
29
What does
1) Innate, mean
Babies are pre-programmed biologically with behaviours to attach
30
What does
2) Social releasers, mean
Infant produces innate Social releaser behaviours such as crying and smiling to stimulate caregiving from parents.
Determinant of attachment is not food but care and responsiveness
31
What does
3) Monotropy, mean
Attachment to one caregiver who is most important
32
What does
4) Internal working model, mean
Child’s relationship with a primary caregiver (Monotropy) provides an internal working model which is a template for future relationships
33
What is the
5) Critical period
Critical period for a human baby to develop an attachment is up to 2.5 years old
34
Evaluation of Bowlbys monotropic theory
1) Harlows monkeys supports Bowlbys theory stating monkeys prioritise comfort over food, similar to babies
2) Unethical to separate infants from their caregiver, so animal studies are useful for insight in forming attachments
3) 39% of babies form an attachment with the father as well. Challenging the monotropy stage of Bowlbys theory
35
What was Ainsworth assessing in the strange situation
Assesses the security of attachment between infant and mother
36
Who were the participants in the strange situation
Infant and mother
The stranger isn’t one as she is a confederate, and we are assessing actions of mother and infant
37
Child experiences 8 situations whilst playing
1) parent and infant introduced to room
2) parent and infant alone
3) stranger enters, parent leaves
4) first separation episode
5) first reunion episode. Parent comforts, then leaves again
6) second separation episode, infants alone
7) stranger enters
8) second reunion, stranger leaves, parent enters
38
The 4 aspects of child behaviour observed
1) amount of exploration
2) separation anxiety
3) stranger anxiety
4) child’s reunion behaviour with its caregiver
39
What were the three groups the children were categorised into from ainsworths strange situation
```
Secure (70%)
Insecure avoidant (15%)
Insecure resistant (15%)
```
40
What was:
Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour, parenting style
For a secure attached child
- Separation anxiety= High
- Stranger anxiety= High
- Reunion behaviour= Pleased to see caregiver, easily comforted
- Parenting style= Can respond to infants needs
41
What was:
Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour, parenting style
For an insecure avoidant attached child
- Separation anxiety= Low
- Stranger anxiety= Low
- Reunion behaviour= Indifferent, doesn’t matter if caregiver is there or not
- Parenting style= Uncaring
42
What was:
Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour, parenting style
For an insecure resistant attached child
- Separation anxiety= Extremely High
- Stranger anxiety= Extremely High
- Reunion behaviour= Reject mother on return, then becomes clingy
- Parenting style= Overly attentive
43
If attachment types were same as all cultures, what type of attachment should dominate in all cultures
Secure attachment
With equal amount of insecure avoidant and insecure resistant
44
Why might attachment types vary across cultures
Because child-rearing styles vary across different cultures
45
Why else might attachment types vary across cultures
There are cross-cultural differences as to how different attachment types are regarded.
E.g. Reebye et al, found in Britain we view insecure-avoidant attachment negatively, as it’s associated with weak attachments to people, however in Germany its valued as its associated with being independent
46
What attachment type doe Germany have more of than Britain
Insecure-avoidant
47
Van Ijzendoorm-meta analysis of the strange situation
What was aim of study
- Assess extent of inter-(between) and intra-(within) cultural differences in attachment types
48
What was method of Van Ijzendoorm study
What were the results
Method= Meta-analysis of 32 studies from 8 countries
Results= - From all cultures, except Germany, most common attachment type was secure
- Insecure avoidant were found more in western countries
49
Conclusion of Van Ijzendoorm study
- There’s a difference in pattern of cross-cultural attachment types across cultures
- Overall, patterns of attachment types were similar to what Ainsworth found
50
Evaluation of Ainsworth strange situation
S- Standardised procedures, therefore reliable and easily replicated
L- Sampling bias, middle class, white, American mothers were used, therefore hard to generalise
L- Ethical issues, baby placed under distress as left by itself, breaching ethical guidelines. However, placed under no more stress than real life
L- Demand characteristics, limit opportunity to generalise results
51
What is Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation hypothesis
Explanation of consequences of disrupting attachment bonds that sees serious, permanent damage to children’s development as inevitable
52
What’s separation
Short term disruption of an attachment bond
E.g. day care, left with a babysitter
53
What’s deprivation
Long-term disruption of an attachment bond
E.g. parents divorcing, prison, or death
54
What’s privation
Never having formed an attachment bond
55
Bowlby described distress caused by short term separation as, 3 terms, what are they and describe them
- Protest= Immediate reaction to separation- crying, kicking
- Despair= Little response to offers of comfort; child comforts itself, like thumb sucking
- Detachment= Child responds to people again, but treats everyone warily. Signs of anger and rejection when caregiver returns is common
56
What’s a research to do with short term separation (Douglas 1975)
Separations of less than a week for below 4 year olds, correlated with behavioural difficulties, supporting MDH
57
One evaluation point of short term separation
- More securely attached children will suffer less from distress when separated
58
Research for long-term deprivation (Furstenberg and Kiernan) (2001)
Found children experiencing divorce score lower than children with married parents on academic performance, supporting MDH
59
One evaluation point for long-term deprivation
- long-term deprivation has a greater negative effect on children’s development than short-term separation
60
Research on privation (Freud and Dann 1951)
- 6 children placed in a nazi concentration camp, orphaned at a few months of age. Gradually became attached to there carers, not supporting Bowlby’s MDH
61
One evaluation point for privation
- Bowlbys viewpoint that negative effects of MDH are irreversible seem overstated. Children who’s privation experiences were followed by positive experiences made good recoveries
62
What is institutionalisation
Institutionalised children behaviours
Childcare provided by orphanages and children’s homes
- Attention seeking, retarded cognitive abilities and underweight
63
What is disinhibited attachment
What is this the result of
Disinhibtent attachment is where the child will attach to any adult. Characterised by clingy, attention-seeking behaviour
- Disinhibitent attachment is caused by institutionalisation
64
Rutters Romanian orphan studies
What’s the method
Including the 3 conditions
- method= - Assess whether loving care would overturn effects of privation
- IV was age of adoption
- Longitudinal Study, incorporating quasi experiment.
- Condition 1= Adopted before 6 months
- Condition 2= Adopted between 6 months and 2 years
- Condition 3= Adopted after 2 years
- DV was children’s level of cognitive functioning
- 111 Romanian orphans measured, 52 British orphans measured as a control group, to see whether negative effects were due to separation from carers or the institutional conditions in Romanian orphanages
65
Results of Romanian orphan studies
- 50% of Romanian orphans we retarded in cognitive functioning and underweight at initial assessment. Control group didn’t show these deficits
- Age 4, Romanian orphans showed improvements in physical and cognitive development. Orphans adopted before 6 months doing as well as British
66
Conclusions of Romanian orphan studies
- Negative effects of institutionalisation can be overcome by loving care
- Separation from carers alone will not cause developmental effects (evident from British orphans)
67
2 Evaluation point for Romanian orphan studies
- Small samples of children, difficult to generalise
- Only assessed up to 4 years old, don’t know long-term effects of institutionalisation
- Rutter states critical period for humans is 6 months, challenging Bowlby who states it’s 2.5 years
68
What’s internal working model
Infants primary attachment forms a template for future relationships
69
Evidence suggests that children who form attachments to each other early in life will not.....
Go on to form sexual relationships with each other
70
Youngblade and Belksy (1992) research on childhood relationships
3-5 year olds securely attached children are more likely to be curious, self-confident, and get along with other children
71
One evaluation point for childhood relationships (internal working model)
- Deterministic, young relationships determine adult relationships
72
What does good child attachment lead to in adult hood
Good, quality adult relationships
73
Is it possible to develop secure adult relationships, for those who fail to achieve secure attachments in childhood
Yes it is possible
74
What parenting style would their children have
The children will adopt the parenting style of their parents
