Attachment

Question 1

what is meant by the term ‘attachment’ (2)

Answer 1

• an emotional bond
• between a care-giver and infant

Question 2

what is interactional synchrony ?

Answer 2

• infant and caregiver mirror each others actions + emotions

Question 3

what is reciprocity ?

Answer 3

• turn taking , behviour/actions of one elicits a response from the other

Question 4

who conducted research support for interactional synchrony ?

Answer 4

• Meltzoff + Moore
• adults displayed facial expressions + hand gestures
• filmed infants reaction
• found +ve correlation ie. infants imitated adults

Question 5

strength of research into interactional synchrony ?

Answer 5

• lab experiment + filmed
• can go back to watch clips to make sure they did not miss anything
• can test inter-rater reliability
• high control over extraneous variables that may affect babies behaviour eg. noise levels

Question 6

weaknesses of research into interactional synchrony ?

CHUNKY PEEL

Answer 6

• issue of intentionality
• cannot determine from observations if babies actions are deliberate or conscious
• therefore cannot establish cause + effect / correlational
• research does not tell us purpose of interactional s + r
• questions whether research is actually useful
• however Isabella found that high level of synchrony was associated with quality of attachment

Question 7

Outline 3 pieces of research into the role of the father ?

Answer 7

• Grossman = longitudinal study , found quality of father’s attachment less important for teenage attachment type
• Field = found father who were PCG adopted more maternal role ie. smiling + imitating infant
• Schaffer = 75% of infants form secondary attachments with father

Question 8

what did Grossman discover about role of the father in attachment ?

Answer 8

fathers play a role in play and stimulation rather than nurturing

Question 9

what are limitations of research into role of father ?

Answer 9

• question what is ‘role of father’ too vague = diff research into pvg + scg
• refuting research for Grotessman = children of lesbians + single-mothers were simm to those who had playful father
• however may be because mothers adapt to role

Question 10

what are economic implications of research into role of father ?

Answer 10

• less pressure on mothers to go back to sat at home
• therefore can go back to work
• more societal acceptance of single fathers

Question 11

Outline characteristics of securely attached children ?

Answer 11

• high willingness to explore but seeks proximity
• moderate separation + stranger anxiety
• enthusiastic at reunion

Question 12

Outline characteristic of insecure - avoidant children ?

Answer 12

• high willingness to explore but does not seek proximity
• low separation + stranger anxiety
• avoids contact at reunion

Question 13

outline characteristic of insecure - resistant children ?

Answer 13

• low willingness to explore + seeks proximity
• considerable stranger + separation anxiety
• resists comfort at reunion