Attachment Flashcards
1
Q
Caregiver-Infant Interactions- AO1
A
- Reciprocity=when caregiver and baby respond to each others signals and elicit a response back
Alert phases:
Baby signals when ready for interaction- mother picks up on this 2/3 of time- from 3 months=increasingly frequent
Active involvement:
Both caregiver and baby initiate interactions and take turns doing so- Brazelton=dance - Interactional synchrony=temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour
Synchrony begins:
Meltzoff+Moore=as young as two weeks- adult=one of three facial expressions and baby response mirrored them more than chance predicted
Importance for attachment:
Isabella=high levels synchrony=better quality attachments
2
Q
Caregiver-Infant Interactions- AO3
A
- Filmed observations +
Extraneous variables controlled
Recorded and analysed later
Inter-rater reliability
Behaviour will not change
Good reliability and validity - Difficulty observing babies -
Movements observed=small and subtle
Cannot determine what has caused the movement or what is occurring from babies perspective
Cannot be certain has special meaning - Developmental importance -
Feldman- synchrony and reciprocity can be reliably observed but not useful in understanding child development
Do not know purpose of behaviours
3
Q
Schaffer’s Stages Of Attachment- AO1
A
- Schaffer+Emerson=different infant behaviours linked to specific ages, all babies going through them in same order
- Stage 1: Asocial (first few weeks)
Behaviour toward human and objects=similar
Prefer to be with (familiar) people - Stage 2: Indiscriminate (2-7months)
More obvious/observable behaviours
Preference humans over objects
Accept comfort from anyone
No separation/stranger anxiety - Stage 3: Specific (7months)
Primary attachment figure to person who offers most interaction- mother in 65% of cases
Stranger and separation anxiety - Stage 4: Multiple (by age 1)
Secondary attachment figures
Schaffer+Emerson=29% form secondary attachments within month of primary attachment
4
Q
Schaffer’s Stages Of Attachment- AO3
A
- Good external validity +
Observations made by parents and reported to researchers
No researchers present which would have distracted babies
Participants behaved naturally - Poor evidence for asocial stage -
Poor co-ordination and immobile=hard to observe anxiety
Cannot observe and report back accurate information
Might be social but appeared asocial - Real-world application +
Asocial and indiscriminate=day care straightforward as can be comforted by anyone
Starting day care with unfamiliar adult=problematic in specific stage
5
Q
The Role Of The Father- AO1
A
- Father=anyone who takes on role of main male caregiver
- Attachment to fathers:
Schaffer+Emerson=3% cases was father primary attachment- 27% cases was father joint primary with mother
75% attachment with father by 18 months - Distinctive role for fathers:
Grossmann=longitudinal study- attachment quality with mother related to attachment in adolescence=attachment to fathers less important
Quality of fathers play related quality of attachment=fathers have role of stimulation over emotion - Fathers as primary attachment figures:
Fathers able take on emotional role for primary attachment
Field=primary caregiver father=more time holding baby than secondary
6
Q
The Role Of The Father- AO3
A
- Confusion over research questions -
Some concerned with role of father as primary (distinct role) and others as secondary (maternal role) attachment figure
Depends what role being discussed - Conflicting evidence -
Grossmann=father have stimulation role
Expect single-mother children to be different from those who have father
These children do not develop differently - Real-world application +
Mothers pressured stay at home and fathers pressured go to work
Reassuring advice as any parent can be primary attachment figure
Parental anxiety can be reduced
7
Q
Animal Studies Of Attachment- Lorenz- AO1
A
- Imprinting=bird species mobile from birth attach to and follow first moving thing they see
- Experiment=half goose eggs hatched with mother and half in incubator when first moving thing saw=Lorenz
- Findings=incubator group followed Lorenz everywhere and control group followed mother
Critical period=brief as few hours after hatching
If imprinting does not occur=no attachment to mother figure - Sexual imprinting
Lorenz- peacock reared in reptile house where first moving object=giant tortoise
Peacock only courtship behaviour toward giant tortoises
8
Q
Animal Studies Of Attachment- Lorenz- AO3
A
- Research support +
Regolin+Vallortigara=chicks exposed simple moving shape combinations
Would follow original most closely
Young animals=innate mechanism imprint on moving object present in critical window development - Generalisability to humans -
Mammalian attachment system=different and more complex to birds
Two-way process=mothers also show emotional attachment to young
9
Q
Animal Studies Of Attachment- Harlow- AO1
A
- Experiment=reared 16 rhesus monkeys with two wire model mothers
Milk dispensed by plain wire mother/by cloth-covered mother - Findings=cuddled cloth mother and sought comfort from them regardless of who dispensed milk
Contact comfort more important than food - Maternally deprived monkeys as adults
Plain wire mothers=most dysfunctional
Aggressive / unsociable / bred less often / neglected young and even killed some - Critical period=within 90 days
Attachment impossible after this and maternal deprivation irreversible
10
Q
Animal Studies Of Attachment- Harlow- AO3
A
- Real-world value +
Helped social workers/clinal psychologists understand lack of bonding=risk factor in development
Importance of attachment figures for baby monkeys - Generalisability to humans -
More similar to humans than Lorenz’s geese
Human brain and behaviour more complex than that of monkeys
11
Q
Explanations Of Attachment- Learning Theory- AO1
A
- Dollard+Miller= behaviourism / ‘cupboard love’=importance of attachment figure as provider of food
- Classical conditioning (association)
UCS(food) -> UCR(pleasure)
UCS(food) + NS(caregiver) -> UCR(pleasure)
CS(caregiver) -> CR(pleasure) - Operant conditioning (consequences)
Comforting a child when crying=positive reinforcement
When baby stops crying after comforting=negative reinforcement
Interplay of mutual reinforcement strengthens attachment - Attachment as secondary drive
Hunger=primary drive- innate motivator
Sears- attachment=secondary drive- association between caregiver and satisfaction of primary drive
12
Q
Explanations Of Attachment- Learning Theory- AO3
A
- Counter-evidence from animal studies -
Lorenz’s geese imprinted on first moving object, regardless whether associated with food
Harlow’s monkeys attached due to contact comfort and not who provided milk - Counter-evidence from studies on humans -
Schaffer+Emerson=babies main attachment is mother regardless of whether she fed them
Isabella=high synchrony=high quality of attachment
Food not main factor in attachment - Some conditioning may be involved +
Baby may associate warmth and comfort with presence of specific adult=determine choice of main attachment figure
13
Q
Explanations Of Attachment- Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory- AO1
A
- Evolutionary explanation- attachment=innate system gives survival advantage
- Monotropy=one particular attachment(mother) different to others and of central importance to child’s development
Law of continuity:
More constant and predictable child’s care=better quality attachment
Law of accumulated separation:
Effects of every separation add up and safest dose=zero dose(Bowlby) - Social releases and critical period
Social releasers=innate cute behaviours encourage attention from adults=social interaction
Critical period=six months
Sensitive period=6months-2 years
If not formed in this time, becomes much harder - Internal working model=mental representation of relationships that serve as model for future relationships
Affects child’s later ability to parent
14
Q
Explanations Of Attachment- Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory- AO3
A
- Validity of monotropy challenged -
Schaffer+Emerson=most attached to one person first, minority=multiple attachments at same time
First attachment may be stronger not different in quality - Support for social releasers +
Brazelton=babies trigger interactions using social releasers
Encouraged to ignore social releasers=babies distressed/lay motionless
Important in process of attachment - Support for internal working model +
Bailey=attachment relationships in 99 mothers and 1 year olds
Mothers with poor attachment to own primary attachments=poorly attached babies
Influenced by internal working models
15
Q
Types Of Attachment- AO1
A
- Ainsworth’s strange situation
- Controlled observation with two way mirrors- 7 stages, 3 minutes each=21 minutes total
1. Baby explores=exploration/secure base
2. Stranger enters=stranger anxiety
3. Caregiver leaves=separation and stranger anxiety
4. Caregiver returns/stranger leaves=reunion behaviour and exploration/secure base
5. Caregiver leaves=separation anxiety
6. Stranger returns=stranger anxiety
7. Caregiver returns=reunion behaviour - Secure (type B)
Mod proximity/secure base / mod separation/stranger anxiety / require/accept comfort - Insecure-avoidant (type A)
Low proximity/secure base / low separation/stranger anxiety / avoid contact - Insecure-resistant (type C)
High proximity / low exploration / high separation/stranger anxiety / resist comfort
16
Q
Types Of Attachment- AO3
A
- Good predictive validity +
Type B=better outcomes than others
Childhood=better achievement
Adulthood=better mental health
Type A/not any=worst outcomes
Real and meaningful - Good (inter-rater)reliability +
Bick=agreement on 94% cases
Controlled conditions and behaviours easy to observe
Attachment type does not depend on subjective judgements - The test may be culture-bound -
Developed in Britain and USA (westernised)
Different experiences and different cultures
Takahashi=high separation anxiety=more type A=mother-baby separation very rare
17
Q
Cultural Variations In Attachment- AO1
A
- van Ijzendoorn+Kroonenberg:
32 strange situation studies
15 in USA, overall 1990 children
Meta-analysis
Secure most common in all countries
Individualist=I-R similar to Ainsworth but greater in collectivist
Variations within country=150% greater than between countries - Italian study- Simonelli:
76 babies strange situation
50% secure (lower than Ainsworth)/ 36% I-A (higher)
Mothers working long hours and use professional care - Korean study- Jin:
87 babies strange situation
Insecure and secure similar to other countries
One I-A and others resistant=similar Japan
Child-rearing style explains similarities - Conclusions:
Secure=norm in wide range cultures=Bowlby- attachment=innate
Cultural practices have influence on attachment type
18
Q
Cultural Variations In Attachment- AO3
A
- Indigenous researchers +
Same cultural background as participants
Problems in cross-cultural research avoided=culture bias/language/communication
Increases validity - Confounding variables -
Not matched methodology when meta-analysed
Age/social class/poverty/environmental variables
Size of room/availability of toys
May be classified as different attachment type - Imposed etic -
Impose idea that works in one cultural context, to another
Britain/USA-lack of affection on reunion=I-A
Germany-independence rather than insecurity
Comparing across cultures is meaningless
19
Q
Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation- AO1
A
- Maternal deprivation=emotional and intellectual consequences of separation from mother- continuous care essential for normal development
- Separation=not in presence
Deprivation=of emotional care - Critical period=two and a half years old
Sensitive period=five - Effects on development:
=Intellectual- low IQ
=Emotional- affectionless psychopathy=no guilt and remorse - Bowlby’s 44 thieves:
14/44 affectionless psychopaths 12/14 prolonged separation in critical period
20
Q
Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation- AO3
A
- Flawed evidence -
Interviewer bias as knew which thieves expected signs psychopathy
Goldfarb had confounding variables - Deprivation and privation -
Rutter=deprivation is loss of PAF=privation is failure to form attachment in first place
Long-term damage=privation - Critical vs sensitive period -
Good quality aftercare can prevent most of damage after critical period
Koluchova=twins severe abuse up until 7, excellent care and recovered by teens
21
Q
Romanian Orphan Studies: Institutionalisation- AO1
A
- Rutter’s research:
English and Romanian Adoptee Study- 165 orphans adopted by UK families / 52 UK adoptees control = development assessed longitudinally
=mean IQ decreased along with age at which adopted
=adopted after 6 months- disinhibited attachment - Zeanah’s research:
Bucharest Early Intervention Project- 95 Romanian institutionalised children / 50 control = attachment type SS
=74% control- secure
=19% institutional- secure
=44% institutional- disinhibited
=20% control- disinhibited - Effects of institutionalisation:
=disinhibited attachment- attention-seeking/clinginess = adaptation multiple caregivers in sensitive period
=intellectual disability- most adopted before 6 months caught up by age 4
22
Q
Romanian Orphan Studies: Institutionalisation- AO3
A
- Real-world application +
Langton=understanding of institutional care and how to prevent effects
Led to improvement in conditions- having one/two keyworkers
Now considered undesirable option - Fewer confounding variables +
Children from Romanian orphanages been handed over by loving parents who could not afford to keep them
Higher internal validity - Lack of adult data -
ERA study=children in their 20’s- do not know of long-term effects= mental health problems and maintaining relationships
Long time to gather due to longitudinal nature
23
Q
Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships- AO1
A
- Internal working model:
=mental representations of relationships based on PAF affects future relationships
=initial loving relationship leads to these in the future - Relationships in childhood:
=securely attached babies form best quality childhood friendships- insecure form worst
=Myron-Wilson+Smith: secure unlikely involved in bullying / I-A victims / I-R bullies - Relationships in adulthood:
=McCarthy- 40 women securely attached babies=best friendships and romances- I-R cannot maintain friendships / I-A struggled with intimacy
=Bailey- most women have same attachment types to their mothers and babies
24
Q
Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships- AO3
A
- Research support +
Fearon+Roisman=early attachment consistently predicts later attachment, emotional well-being and attachment to children
Disorganised linked with later mental order - Validity issues with retrospective studies -
Not longitudinal- ask participants about own attachments and types
=relies on honesty and accurate perception
=hard to know what is actually being assessed - Confounding variables -
Studies have validity problems as associations affected by other variables
Parenting style/genetically-influenced personality
