Attachment Flashcards
Define Reciprocity
Caregiver–infant interaction is reciprocal, i.e. each person’s interactions affect the other. Turn-taking, e.g. caregiver does an action, baby responds, then caregiver etc.
Define Internal Synchrony
Caregiver and infant signals synchronise, i.e. they occur together (‘mirroring’).
What are the 4 stages of attatchment
Asocial
Indiscriminate Attachments
Descriminate (specific) attachments
Multiple Attachments
When does a child enter / leave the asocial stage of attatchment
From birth to two months
What happens in the asocial stage of attatchment
An infant views people and objects as the same, although shows a preference for faces / eyes
When does the indiscriminate attchment stage of attatchemnt occur / end
From two to six months
What happens in the indiscriminate stage of attachment
Infant shows preference for humans over non-humans. They can tell differences between humans, but can be comforted by anyone. Stranger anxiety isn’t present yet
When does the discriminate stage of attachment occur / end
From seven to twelve months
What happens in the discriminate stage of attachment
An infant shows preference for one caregiver, displaying stranger and separation anxiety. The infant looks to one person for security and protection. The infant shows joy upon reunion and are comforted by their primary caregiver.
When does the multiple attachments stage of attachment begin
One year
What happens in the multiple attachments stage of attachment
Attachment behaviours are now displayed toward several different people (e.g. siblings, grandparents) and are often referred to as secondary attachment. These attachments typically form in the first month after the primary attachment is formed. The number of these attachments and how they develop is dependant on the social circle the children are exposed to.
What key study examines the formation of early attachments
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
Give a brief overview of the Schaffer and Emerson study
Sample of 60 babies (29F. 31M) from Glasgow working class. Checked up on the children every months for 12 months and observed. about separation and stranger anxiety.
What were the results of the Schaffer and Emerson study
At 25-32 weeks, 50% of children showed seperation anxiety.
By 40 weeks, 80% of children had a specific attachment, and 30% had formed multiple attachments.
Evaluate the Schaffer and Emerson study
+ High external validity
- Low population validity
- Social bias, mums were interviewed so may have made things up to seem like better parents.
What did Geiger (1996) say about the role of the father
That children see the father as a playmate, and the mother is seen as more nuturing and sensitive
What did Belsky et al. (2009) say about the role of the father
Fathers with higher levels of marital intimacy also displayed a secure father-infant attachment. Fathers can have positive relationships with their children, but only if their relationship with the mother is positive
What did Lorenz study
Imprinting in non-human animals
Describe Lorenz’s study
Randomly divided geese eggs into two groups - one was hatched naturally by the mother, and the other were incubated making sure Lorenz was the first thing they saw
Describe the results of Lorenz’s study
The naturally hatched geese followed the mum, but the incubated ones followed Lorenz. Even when mixed together, the geese followed the parent they imprinted on, showing no attachment to biological mother in case of the incubated.
Describe the conclusion of Lorenz’s study
Imprinting only occurs within a critical period of 4-25 hours after hatching, this is irreversible
Evaluate Lorenz’s study
- Only studied non-human animals, can’t be generalised to us
- Later research disproves this. Guiton et al. imprinted chickens on yellow gloves, but later reversed this change. Said that this was not irreversible
What did Harlow study
To see whether baby monkeys would choose food over comfort
Describe Harlow’s study
Sixteen baby rhesus monkeys, 4 conditions.
1. wire mother dispensing milk, cloth mother no milk
2. wire mother no milk, cloth mother dispensing milk
3. wire mother dispensing milk
4. cloth mother dispensing milk
Describe the results of Harlow’s study
Harlow discovered that babies always chose the comfort of the mother over milk from the wire mother.
What was the conclusion of Harlow’s study
Attachment is formed through an emotional need for security rather than food.
Evalulate Harlow’s study
+ Provided useful insight into attachment for the real world
- Heavily unethical study
- not easily applicable to humans as animals, although monkeys aren’t that unrelated to humans
Describe the Learning Theory
Children attach through classical or operant conditioning. Says that we only attach for food.
Describe Classical Conditioning
- Before conditioning, food is an unconditioned stimulus with produces an unconditioned response (relief from hunger)
- Before conditioning, the caregiver is a neutral stimulus who provides no response.
- During conditioning, the child associates the caregiver who feeds them with the food
- After conditioning, the baby now associates the caregiver (conditioned stimulus) with the pleasure from being fed (conditioned response), and now there is an attachment between them.
Describe Operant Conditioning
People or animals learn through consequences (either rewards or punishment)
What is Bowlby’s theory of attachment
Argues that children are born with an innate tendency to form attachments with their parents in order to increase chances of survival
What are the 5 key terms of Bowlby’s theory of attachment
Adapative
Social Releasers
Critical Period
Monotropy
Internal Working Model
What does the Adaptive in Bowlby’s Theory of attachment mean
Attachments are adaptive, as they give humans an advantage to survive
What does the Social Releasers point in Bowlby’s Theory of attachment mean
Infants have innate social releasers, which causes caregivers to take care of them. There are two types:
1. physical - cute face to get attention
2. behavioural - crying to get attention
What does the Critical period point in Bowlby’s Theory of attachment mean
Infants must form an attachment with their caregiver during the critical period (between 3 and 6 months). If this isn’t done, the child will suffer irreversible physical and mental damage.
What does the Monotropy point in Bowlby’s Theory of attachment mean
Infants form one very special attachment (usually with their mother)
What does the Internal Working Model point in Bowlby’s Theory of attachment mean
Through the monotropic attachment the child will form an internal working model. This is a template for future relationship expectations. The better attachment with the primary figure, the better relationships will be later in life
Evaluate Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment
+ Lorenz’s study supports the critical period
+ Hazan and Shaver’s work supported the Internal working model
- Schaffer and Emerson disagreed with monotropy
What did Ainsworth’s strange situation study examine
Separation and stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour
What happens in Ainsworth’s strange situation experiment
Mother and baby in room, there are various stages which consist of a stranger entering the room, the mother then leaving, the baby being on its own and the mother reuniting with the baby.
Evaluate Ainsowrth’s strange situation
- Low ecological validity, done in a highly controlled and artificial setting
- Low internal validity, parents knew they were being observed
What are the 3 types of attachment
Secure
Insecure-Resistant
Insecure-Avoidant
What does a secure attachment look like
Explores but often returns to mother as safe base
Moderate seperation / stranger anxiety
Shows joy on reunion
What does an Insecure-Resistant attachment look like
Doesn’t explore environment, clingy
High separation / stranger anxiety
Seeks but rejects mother’s comfort on reunion
What does an Insecure-Avoidant attachment
Explores environment but doesn’t return to mother
Low stranger / separation anxiety
Shows little reaction upon reunion, avoid intimacy
What did van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) study
Cultural variations in attachment
cultural variations in attachment
What happened in van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s (1988) study
Meta-Analysis of 32 studies from eight countries which uses Ainsworth’s strange situation
Cultural variations
What did the results of van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s (1988) study show
Secure attachments are the most common
Japan showed higher levels of insecure-resistant attachments
Germany showed higher levels of insecure-avoidant attachments
cultural variations
Evauluate van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)
