Attachment Flashcards
Define attachment
A two way emotional bond
Define alert phase
Infant signals that they are ready to interact
Define reciprocity
Both partners in an interaction affect each other’s actions
Define interactional synchrony (IS)
Signals become increasingly similar during interaction
Define multiple attachment
Infants become increasingly independent and form secondary attachments with many people in their lives who respond sensitively to them
Define asocial stage
0-8 weeks in which infants first respond to people and objects with a positive reaction. Respond similarly to humans and objects
Define indiscriminate attachment stage
2-7months, infants enjoy human company over objects but respond to any caregiver. No stranger anxiety and no separation anxiety
Define specific attatchement stage
Start experiencing separation anxiety and stranger anxiety as they use their attachment figure as a secure base. They have a special preference for a single attachment
Caregiver infant Interaction eval strength
Support-> often use filmed observations In lab conditions. Meltzoff and Moore(1977) used a recording of babies reaction. Evs such as noise can be controlled. Filemd from multiple angles. ^ confidence that only caregiver I influence baby I. Data has good reliability and validity
Caregiver infant Interaction eval limitation
-> Reserachs have to interpret baby’s actions. (Meltzoff and Moore/Isabella et al). Hard to tell meaning behind changes in Facial expression etc. Are the baby’s acc imitating caregiver. Can’t establish the behaviour established in research into… is actually between caregiver and infant. Reduces credibility
->observations into… don’t tell us its development importance. Feldman said IS and R describe behaviours which happen at the same time.
Can’t establish purpose of displayed behaviours sk it isn’t useful in understanding the development. Therefore we can’t determine the rationshio between … and their importance for child development.
Results of Shaffer and Emersons study
In first 7 months 70% babies attached to mothers first and 3% fathers first.
75% attached to fathers by the first 18 months
Grossmans reults
Longitudinal study.
Mothers were important not fathers. But quality of fathers play was related to the quality of attatchment
Field study result
Filmed Primary CG mum, PCG dad and secondary CG
More attachment to PCGs cause they responded to them more. Level of responsiveness could be key to attatchment.
Strngth of Role of the father eval
Could offer parental advice. Mention Field. Research relieves the societal pressure and shows that dads are perfectly capable. Real life application in informing parental practice
Limitations of Role of the father eval
-> inconsistent findings for importance of fathers. Children from same sex fam into develops diff from people in a heterosexual fam. Goes against grossmans research, father playing helps child develop attachment. Does not appear to be reliable or consistent across studies.
-> research suggests lack of clarity into.. some want to answer what I the role of the father as SAF and others as PAF. Damaging as tend to see fathers and mothers behaving differently, whereas fathers can take on a maternal role. Difficult to offer a simple answer of the q what is the role of the father.
