Attachment Flashcards
What is reciprocity
Turn taking behaviour
When does reciprocity develop
Around 3 months
What is interactional synchrony
Co-ordinated behaviour (in sync)
Who conducted research into interactional synchrony
Meltzoff and Moore
Explain Meltzoff and Moores investigation into interactional synchrony
An adult model displayed one of three facial expressions
Infants response was removed and an independent observer made notes on the movements
They found an association between the infant behaviour and the adult model on infants as young as 3 days old
Observation ruled out possibility of this behaviour being learnt suggesting this response is innate
What is a criticism of research into institutionalisation
Romanian orphans ( Rutter )
Can not generalise
Institutions are very unique in a poverty country in time of history
Natural experiment ( not much control ) no cause and effect
Who conducted research into institutionalisation
Rutter
What is a weakness of the strange situation
Lacks ecological validity
Demand characteristics from mom
Baby may feel uncomfortable
Evaluate research into infant caregiver interactions
Strength - possible to use well controlled procedures with mother and baby being filmed from multiple angles. Ensures fine details are recorded and can be analysed to improve accuracy of conclusions
Independent observes improves reliability of research (inter-rater reliability 0.92)
Weakness - not possible to draw firm conclusions. Infants have poor motor control and move a lot so researchers can not confirm the behaviour is intended and they are engaging in interactional synchrony or reciprocity. Questions accuracy of conclusions drawn suggests psychologists should be cautious when interpreting findings
Strength - practical applications. Therapists working with parents and infants who had a disrupted childhood in attachment forming. Research helped recognise importance of reciprocity and synchrony in therapeutic work e.g caregivers encouraged to mirror child’s emotion - important for healthy relationships
What are the four stages of attachment
Asocial
Indiscriminate attachments
Specific attachment
Multiple attachments
Who came up with the four stages of attachments
Schaffer and Emerson
Explain Schaffer and Emerson research into stages of attachment
Sixty infants from working class family studied in first year
Mothers asked to report infants response to separation in different everyday situations - they also reported any protest
They concluded the quality of the relationship and interactions are important to the formation of strong emotional bonds
Explain the asocial phase of attachments
From birth to two months - infants respond in same way to all objects
Towards the end of this period they begin to show preference of stimuli and more content when people are around
Reciprocity and interactional synchrony play a role in building bonds and relationships with others
Explain the indiscriminate attachment stage
Second stage
Around 4 months
Infants become more social - enjoy being with people
Can recognise familiar people - show no real preference for anyone and are happy with strangers
Explain the specific attachment stage
Stage 3
By 7 months - infants demonstrate separation anxiety when left by a particular person - formed a specific attachment to primary attachment figure - display stranger anxiety
Primary attachment figure is that who responds to the infants needs quickly and effectively
Explain the multiple attachment phase of attachment
Stage 4
Shortly after the man attachment is established
Infant develops wider circle of attachments
Such as siblings grandparents - seperation anxiety from these people too
Evaluate research into the stages of attachments
Strength - how the data was collected. Study took place in familiar setting (familys own homes) observations done by parents. Strength as baby’s behaviour would be unaffected by research - excellent chsnce observed behaviours of the infant in the study were natural
Weakness - culturally biased. Only apple to western, individualistic cultures. More emphasis on need of the group rather than the individual (as in individualistic cultures) in such cultures thinfs such as childcare are often shared. Weakness because stages of attachment are not universal. In these society’s discriminate attachments are less common
Weakness - socially sensitive. Model suggests single attachment comes before multiple, in some vultures multiple may come first. Families may be unfairly immaculately labelled abnormal by the criteria when they are completely normal
Methodological issues (bias only working class mothers - generalisability)
Explain bowlbys view on primary attachment
Bowlby suggested having a single primary attachment relationship is vital for the healthy psychological development of a child. He emphasised this as the role of the mother. Bowlbys theory’s lack temporal validity as they don’t fit into society today
Explain the role of the father in attachments - Schaffer and Emerson and evaluate
Fathers play a less important role than mothers. Fathers form secure attachments with children however fathers are less likely to be primary attachment figure than mothers
Social factors - cultural expectations of male behaviour suggests it’s feminine to nurture and be sensitive to needs of others and children which discourages men from acting in this way. Fathers spend less time with infants as more likely to work where as mothers stay home
Biological factors - women have oestrogen which produces caregiving behaviours. Men produce very little oestrogen is women are more nurturing than men. Fathers not as sensitive to infant cues, sensitivity is important for attachment
Strength - supporting evidence. Hrdy found fathers less able to detect low levels of infant distress. Supports claim fathers are less important than mothers since less capable of providing sensitive nurturing attachment
Weakness - challenging evidence. Field compared behaviour of primary caregiver mothers to primary caregiver fathers by analysing face to face interviews, primary caregivers father and mothers spent more time smiling and holding baby than secondary caregiver fathers. Level of response is not down to gender but quality of attachment. Fathers like mothers can be important
Explain the role of the father - Grossman
Fathers as important as mothers but role is different. Grossman study found quality of fathers play with infants related to quality of children attachments in adulthood. Fathers more physically active with children and better at encouraging problem solving and thinking. Important part of child’s cognition and development, fathers have different role to nurturing. Fathers teach respect, without fathers children do worse at school and are more likely to be aggressive.
Supporting evidence - researcher found fathers roles as important but different. Father play interactions more affectionate and nurturing, suggests role of father is a playmate and not sensitive
Weakness - many factors influence the role a father plays and the impact on child development. (Cultural factors, quality of interaction) presence of so many factors makes it difficult to generalise fathers role. Rather than specify independent roles may be useful to view attachment roles as complementary, determined by specific needs of family’s
Explain Lorenz animal study of attachment
Lorenz divided 12 goose eggs into two groups, one group saw their mother as soon as they hatched, the other group saw Lorenz, after time all goslings placed together to see if they would follow Lorenz or mother. Group who saw mum first followed mum, group who saw Lorenz first followed Lorenz. The goslings had formed a bond with Lorenz after they hatched known as imprinting. If imprinting did not occur soon after goslings hatched, chicks did not form an attachment with mother figure. Imprinting is linked to a critical period, the effect is irreversible, long lasting and has an effect on later mate preferences. Imprinting is an adaptive behaviour promoting the offspring’s survival and future reproduction
Evaluate Lorenz animal study
Supportive evidence - other research found leghorn chicks fed using yellow rub gloves during first weeks, imprinted on gloves. Adult male chicks later tried to mate with the gloves. Strength as it means we can be more confident Lorenz conclusions are correct, animals will imprint on any moving object during critical period. Findings are reliable.
Challenging evidence - found imprinting could be reversed, after spending time with leghorn chicks they where able to engage in normal sexual behaviour with other chickens. Shows lorenz’s suggestion process is irreversible is not entirely accurate.
Criticism - geese and humans are very different. Researchers claim inappropriate to extrapolate geese to humans. Human babies are born helpless without motor skills and can’t demonstrate following their mother like goslings do, widely accepted goslings imprint however humans attach. This means conclusions drawn by Lorenz about imprinting tell us very little about attachment process in human infants
Explain harlows monkey study
Investigate whether attachment is based on food.
8 newborn monkeys taken away from mother and given choice of a wire mother with a milk bottle or a wire mother covered in soft cloth. Monkeys spend most time with cloth mother, when getting food they would spend minimal time from wire mother then return to cloth mother. When frightened would also cling to cloth mother. Harlow conducted infants develop attachment due to comfort not food
Evaluate harlows monkeys
Methodological issues - heads of surrogate mothers where different, cloth mum had monkey head and wire mum didn’t. Weakness because it’s possible infant monkey spent more time with mother because face is more attractive not due to comfort.
Criticism - inappropriate to generalise monkeys to human infants. Although similarities between monkeys and humans, humans make conscious desicions. Weakness because csn not confidently say human infants form attachments in same way or for same reasons.
Weakness - unethical, study caused long term social and emotional damage to monkeys in terms of relationships. Weakness as psychologists should be conducting ethical research and study should not be replicated.
Strength - practical applications. Suggests human infants may need more than just food and physiological needs. Resulted in policy changes in institutions such as hospitals and children’s home, leading to more effective care for Young children
How does learning theory explain attachment
Attachment is learnt through classical and operant conditioning.
Classical conditioning (learning through association) infants find food a pleasuring and comforting experience, infant associated this with the person who feeds them, overtime infant will feel pleasure and comfort with caregiver whether they feed them or not.
This is maintained through operant conditioning (learning through consequence) behaviours followed by reward are reinforced and likely to be repeated. Reinforcement occurs both for infant and caregiver:
Infant - infants learn to cry smile and coo to being positive response from caregiver which reinforces behaviour so behaviour is repeated
Caregiver - negatively and positively reinforced, infant crying as it’s hungry is unpleasant for caregiver so caregiver feeds baby. Caregiver negatively enforced by unpleasant infant crying
When infant is fed and no longer vets caregiver is positively reinforced by pleasant infant interaction
Evaluate learning theory as an explanation of attachment
Strength - can be tested using scientific methods, eg controlled conditions such as harlows monkey study. Strength because evidence from research can be confidently used to provide support for or to challenge theory.
Challenging evidence - Harlows monkey study found baby monkeys who were raised with artificial mothers did not spend time clinging to mother which provided food and did not run to it for comfort. They preferred mother in soft towel. This is a weakness because it shows food is not the main factor in forming an attachment.
Challenging evidence - Schaffer and Emerson found attachment develops over time and babies are happy to be looked after by anyone until about 7 months old, where they suddenly want to be with main cater. This is a weakness because learning theory proposes attachment would gradually increase in strength whereas it appears suddenly at the same age in all infants
What are animal studies of attachment
Lorenz
Harlow
What are explanations of attachment
Learning theory
Bowlbys monotropic theory
What is bowlbys monotropic theory
Bowlby believed attachment forms because it is adaptive and the drive to form this attachment is innate.
Infants display responses to adults known as social releases (smiling)
There is a critical period for attachment from birth to 2.5 years old. If attachment is not developed then, it will never form and child will suffer from irreversible developmental consequences such as reduced intelligence.
A special attachment forms with person who responds most sensitively to baby’s needs, the special attachment is called monotropy, this primary figure acts as a secure base for the baby.
Bowlby believed this first attachment creates a type of schemes for relationships known as internal working model. This acts as a template for later relationships because it generates expectations of what relationships are like. If child has close relationship with mother, expect this later in life. If mother rejects child; child will develop negative self image and low self esteem. Bowlby predicted emotionally secure infants with strong bonds in infancy would be emotionally and socially confident adults
What is a social releaser
Baby cooing and smiling
