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Psychology🧠 > Attachment > Flashcards

Attachment Flashcards

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1
Q

Define Attachment

A

A reciprocal emotion bond between two people which endures over time. In this bond, each individual sees the other as essential for their own security.

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2
Q

What are the two types of infant-caregiver interactions?

A

Interactional Synchrony

Reciprocity

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3
Q

Define Interactional Synchrony and outline the study

A
  • Where an infant and the caregiver reflect, simultaneously, both the actions and emotions of the other and do so in a coordinated way e.g baby’s facial expression mirrors the caregiver.

-Meltzoff and Moore observed the beginnings of interactional synchrony in infants as young as 2 weeks. An adult displayed one of three facial or distinctive gestures. It was observed that infants copied them.

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4
Q

Define Reciprocity and outline the study

A

-An infant responds to the actions of another person; the actions of one person elicits a response from the other e.g caregiver responding to the baby’s smile by saying something, turn-taking.

  • Tronick’s Still face experiment: Mother faces baby and asked to hold a ‘still face’ and not react to the baby. Babies would try to tempt the parent, but then get distressed and turn away with a hopeless facial expression.
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5
Q

Evaluate the research into infant-caregiver interactions

A

+ A controlled observation therefore no extraneous variables and can be more reliable, high ecological validity.

-Difficult to test infant behaviour: videos of baby’s facial expressions were observed without knowing the adults facial expression (no expectation) and they were hard to distinguish, and cannot tell if they are intentional

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6
Q

Define Caregiverese

A

Adults who interact with infants use a modified form of vocal language that is high pitched, which can strengthen their bond.

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7
Q

Define bodily contact

A

Physical interaction between caregiver and infant that helps to form the attachment bond.

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8
Q

Define collectivist culture

A

Emphasises family and work goals above individual needs, high interdependence

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9
Q

Define individualistic culture

A

Emphasises personal independence and achievement

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10
Q

What is Ethnocentrism?

A

Seeing the world from one’s own cultural perspective and believing the one perspective is both normal and correct.

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11
Q

Describe Van Ijzendoorn + Kroonenvergs study into different types of attachments in different cultures

A

Aim: study the proportions of secure, insecure-avoident, insecure-resistant attachments both across and within countries.

Procedure:
-meta analysis
-located 32 countries
-conducted in 8 countries
-15 in the US
-1,990 children overall

Findings:
-Secure attachment was most common, 50% in china, 75% in GB
-Insecure-resistant least common, 2% in GB and 28% in Israel.
-Germany most insecure-avoidant
-Attachment was least common in Japan

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12
Q

Briefly outline Simonella et als Italian study into cultural variations in attachment

A

See whether the proportions of babies of different attachment types still matches those found in previous studies.

Used 76, 12-month olds using a strange situation.

-50% were secure, lower than before
-36% insecure-avoidant due to an increase of cultural changes.

Cultural changes have a big impact on secure and insecure attachment.

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13
Q

Briefly outline Jin et als Korean study into cultural variations in attachment

A

To compare attachment types of children in Korea to other countries

-Used 87 children

  • The proportion of Insecure and secure babies were similar to other countries
    -Only one avoidant
    -Similar to Japan
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14
Q

Evaluate the Italian and Korean studies into cultural variations in attachment

A

+ Replicable, controlled observations
+ Generalisable, large sample sizes and a lot of countries represented: population validity

  • Not ethical, using babies may cause them distress and cannot consent
  • Low internal validity, new environments may cause confounding variables.
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15
Q

What is Imposed Etic?

A

Imposing an idea or technique that works in one cultural context onto another.

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16
Q

Describe Schaffer and Emersons study into early attachment

A

Aimed to investigate the formation of early attachment.

-60 babies
-All from Glasgow
-A naturalistic observation
-Majority from skilled working-class families
-Families were visited at home every month for the 1st year, and again at 18 months
-Asked mother questions
-Interested in separation anxiety and stranger anxiety

-At 25-32 weeks around 50% showed signs of separation anxiety to a certain adult (normally mum).
-Attachment tended to be the caregiver who gave the most attention
-By 40 weeks, 80% had a specific attachment, and 30% had multiple attachments

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17
Q

What are the names of ‘Schaffer’s Stages’?

A
  1. Asocial stage
  2. Indiscriminate Attachment
  3. Specific Attachment
  4. Multiple Attachments
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18
Q

Describe the asocial stage (1)

A

-Babies first few weeks of life, 0-6 weeks
-Observable behaviour towards humans and inanimate objects is similar, but prefer humans.

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19
Q

Describe the indiscriminate stage (2)

A
  • 2-7 months old
    -Clear preference to humans, especially familiar ones.
    -Don’t show separation anxiety or stranger anxiety yet
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20
Q

Describe the specific attachment stage (3)

A

-From 7 months old
-Have an attachment to a particular person, a ‘primary attachment figure’
-Develop stranger and separation anxiety

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21
Q

Describe the multiple attachments stage (4)

A

-Shortly after stage 3
-Now have more than one attachment, a secondary attachment
-Show attachment anxiety

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22
Q

Evaluate Schaffer and Emerson’s study into early attachment

A

+ High validity, longitudinal study
+Naturalistic, demand characteristics are not present

-Social desirability, mother is observing, may lie
-Low population validity, only 60 babies

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23
Q

Briefly outline Field’s research into the Father’s role as caregivers

A

-Filmed 4-month old babies in a face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers and fathers, and secondary caregiver fathers.

-Primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding the babies
-Fathers can be the more nurturing parent, just depends on their interaction.

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24
Q

Briefly outline Grossman’s research into the role of the father

A

-Studied the quality of infant attachment with mothers and fathers.

-Found to have a better quality with mothers
-Fathers attachment is less important
-The quality is based on the adolescents quality of play with the dad.

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25
Q

Evaluate the research into the role of the father

A
  • There are a number of influences which might impact the development: culture, beliefs, age, time spent away from home.
  • Doesn’t explain why fathers don’t generally become primary attachment figures: may be that men don’t feel they need to due to traditional gender roles, or the mum has hormones that are more nurturing.
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26
Q

Evaluate Schaffers Stages

A
  • Poor validity of measures used to assess in the asocial stage: hard to observe anxiety, do mothers know what they are looking for?

+ External validity: observations were made by parents during ordinary activities, highly likely they behaved naturally.

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27
Q

What is the basis of the Learning Theory of Attachment?

A

Attachment figure is most likely to be the food provider, aka the ‘Cupboard Love’ theory

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28
Q

Explain classical conditioning with regards to the learning theory of attachment

A

Food (US) > Happy baby (UR)

Mother (NS) + food (US) > happy baby (UR)

Mother (CS) > Happy baby (CR)

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29
Q

Explain operant conditioning with regards to the learning theory of attachment

A

Baby is positively reinforced:
Crying > caregiver feeds

Baby negatively reinforced:
Feeds > Prevented crying

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30
Q

What does ‘Drive Reduction’ mean?

A

Having a biological drive to reduce any feelings or discomfort. In doing so it produces a feeling of pleasure.

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31
Q

Briefly outline Dollard and Millers explanation of attachment using the learning theory

A
  1. Baby feels discomfort, creating a drive to reduce it, so will cry.
  2. Caregiver responds by feeding, reducing this discomfort and a feeling of pleasure: positive reinforcement
  3. Food becomes the primary reinforcer as it is a reward.
  4. Caregiver is the secondary reinforcer ads they provide the food, via association (classical conditioning), caregiver brings pleasure.
  5. Baby then feels pleasure when caregiver is present and learns to repeat this behaviour.
32
Q

Evaluate the Learning Theory of Attachment

A
  • Human research shows food is not a primary factor: Schaffer and Emerson found babies form the main attachment to the mother regardless of if she fed them.

+Evidence for behaviourism and learning is scientific: Pavlov and Skinners research was controlled and in a lab, so more reliable and more valid

33
Q

Did Bowlby agree with the learning theory?

A

No, if it was based on food ten surely they would form attachments with a lot of people.

He suggests its based on evolution

34
Q

What are the key points of Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment?

A

(SoMAGIC)

-Social releasers
-Monotropy
-Attachments
-Good quality care
-Internal working model
-Critical period

35
Q

Explain ‘Social releasers’ for Bowlby’s theory

A

-Babies are born with an innate cute behaviour to gain attention
-Aims to activate adult social interactions to attach them

36
Q

Explain ‘Monotropy’ for Bowlby’s theory

A

Bowlby places emphasis on the Childs attachment to one particular caregiver: it’s different and more important than others.

37
Q

Explain ‘Attachments’ for Bowlby’s theory

A

-For evolution we adapt to our environment to survive and reproduce.

-Attaching enables us to effectively adapt so we are more likely to survive.

38
Q

Explain ‘Good quality care’ for Bowlby’s theory

A

The law of continuity: the more constant and predictable a Childs care, the better the quality of attachment.

The law of accumulated separation: the effects of every separation from the mother add up and have negative consequences.

39
Q

Explain ‘Internal working model’ for Bowlby’s theory

A

Forms a template for relationships.

-Infant forms a mental representation of their primary attachment relationship.
-Allows insight into caregivers behaviour so that they can influence it.

40
Q

Explain ‘critical period’ for Bowlby’s theory

A
  • 0-2 years
    -Up to 6 months is a sensitive period where if an attachment is not formed , it will be hard to ever form one and may have psychological and developmental consequences.
41
Q

Evaluate Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment

A

+There is supporting evidence for the role of a social releaser: cute baby behaviour are designed to elicit interactions. Observations show babies trigger reactions and if ignored they get distressed.

  • The concept of monotropy lacks validity: most babies did attach to one person at first and they do have an effect later in life, but other attachments are similar in quality, just weaker.
42
Q

Define Separation

A

Not being in the presence of the mother.

43
Q

Define Deprivation

A

Continued separation or loss of the mother.

44
Q

Define Privation

A

Failure to develop an attachment.

45
Q

What does Bowlby say are the 2 effects of maternal deprivation?

A

-Lower IQ
-Affectionless Psychopathy

46
Q

Define ‘Low IQ’

A

Delayed intellectual development.

Goldfarb found children who remained in institutions had a lower IQ and lack of emotional care.

47
Q

Define ‘Affectionless Psychopathy’

A

Inability to feel guilt or strong emotions towards others.

Usually associated with criminality and prevents developing normal relationships.

48
Q

Robertson and Bowlby researched the response of paternal deprivation- what were the 3 responses?

A

Protest: intense crying, panicked, angry, and fearful

Despair: a loss of hope, apathetic, engages in self-comforting behaviour.

Detachment: less distressed, if caregiver returns they do not respond and are very angry

49
Q

Outline Bowlby’s ‘44 thieves’ study into the links between affection less psychopathy and maternal deprivation

A
  • 44 teenage criminals that were interviewed for signs of affection less psychopathy.
    -Also interviewed their families to establish any prolonged early separation from mothers.
    -Control group of 44 teenagers with emotional problems
  • 14/44 thieves were affection less psychopaths and 17/44 had maternal separation.
    -Control: 2/44 had maternal separation, none were affection less psychopaths
50
Q

Evaluate Bowlby’s ‘44 thieves’ study

A
  • Poor quality of the evidence it is based on: Bowlby carried out the interview himself, so could be bias, and also was influenced by other problematic researchers (Goldfarb) as he has confounding variables- some serious flaws
  • The idea of critical periods: evidence proves that not all critical periods (where abused) have lasting damage, some can recover fully, therefore should be known as a sensitive period.
51
Q

Define ‘Institutionalisation’

A

Refers to a place where children live for a long, continuous period of time.

52
Q

Summarise Rutter’s English and Romanian Adoptee study

A
  • 165 Romanian adoptees in Britain were assessed by their physical, emotional, and cognitive development at different ages.

-If adopted before 6 months old, had a higher IQ (102), rarely disinhibited attachment.
-After 6 months had a lower IQ and signs of disinhibited attachment.

53
Q

Summarise the ‘Bucharest Early intervention project’ by Zeanah

A
  • Wanted to look into attachment types of children in care.

-Measured using a ‘strange situation’ where parents were asked about unusual behaviour (attention seeking , clinginess)

-19% securely attached
-44% disinhibited attachment
-Yet was much lower for the control group

54
Q

What are the 2 effects of institutionalisation?

A

-Disinhibited attachment
-Intellectual disability

55
Q

Define ‘disinhibited attachment’

A

Equally friendly to people they know and strangers.

56
Q

Define ‘Intellectual disability’

A

Below average intelligence

57
Q

Evaluate the Institutionalisation research

A

+Real world application: improve conditions for orphans to prevent consequences
+Longitudinal study

-Not generalisable: the conditions in Romanian orphanages are particularly bad.
-Lack of adult data: stopped looking at them at 25, long-term affects ,may be different

58
Q

What is ‘The Continuity Hypothesis’?

A

The idea that there is a consistency between early emotional experiences and later relationships.

59
Q

How do the attachment types tend to behave as adults based on Hazan and shaver’s love quiz?

A

Secure: trusts others, positive relationships, remembers a caring mother

Insecure-avoidant: fears closeness, love is not necessary for happiness, mother was cold and rejecting.

Insecure-resistant: falls in love easily but hard to find true love, controlling and argumentative, mother positive but rejecting.

60
Q

Outline Hazen and Shaver’s study: ‘Love quiz’

A

-Testing Bowlby’s hypothesis
-100 questions in the news, with 620 replies.

-56% secure
-25% avoidant
-19% resistant

61
Q

Evaluate the research into attachment and later relationships

A

-Ps may lie as it is questionnaire, social desirability, affects validity.

-Too many variables play a part in our romantic relationships, our own temperament and personality may affect our relationships

62
Q

Myron-Wilson and Smith looked into bullying and attachment types- what were the results?

A

Secure- not involved
Insecure-avoidant- victim
Insecure-resistant- the bully

63
Q

Define Critical Period

A

A time frame within which an attachment must form with a mother figure otherwise long lasting damage may occur.

64
Q

What is ‘Imprinting’?

A

An innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother which takes place during a specific time in development. If it doesn’t happen, it probably never will.

65
Q

Describe Lorenz’s study on chicks and imprinting

A

-Divided a clutch of gosling eggs into 2 groups
-1 group was left with natural mother, one with Lorenz
-When hatched, they either saw their mother or Lorenz as the first living/moving thing
-Started to follow Lorenz around
-TO TEST THE EFFECT OF IMPRINTING, LORENZ MARKED THE 2 GROUPS AND PLACED THEM BACK TOGETHER

-The goslings divided themselves up, one with Lorenz and the other with mum.

-Imprinting is a form of attachment exhibited mainly in bird species that are mobile from birth
-Had a long term effect, on mating preferences: SEXUAL IMPRINTING

66
Q

Describe Harlow’s ‘wire mother’ study

A

Testing the ‘cupboard love’ theory

-Reared 16 baby monkeys with 2 wire model mothers.
-One wire mother dispensed milk, one had a cloth over it and provided comfort.

-The monkey only went to the wire mother for food, the the cloth mother for comfort. When a loud noise was played, monkey went to cloth mother.

-Harlow followed the monkeys into adulthood to see if maternal deprivation had a lasting effect: they were more aggressive, less sociable, and neglected the own children, even killing them.

67
Q

Evaluate Lorenz’s chick study

A

+Existence of support for the concept of imprinting: a study using chicks was carried out using shapes, they followed the original shape they had seen

-Not generalisable to humans. Humans are a lot more complex than birds, and have a two way process where the mother also attaches.

68
Q

Evaluate Harlow’s wire mother study

A

-Cannot generalise to humans: although monkeys are more similar to us, our brain is still more complex so hard to compare

+Real world application: helps social workers understand that lack of bonding experience can result in poor development.

69
Q

Describe Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’

A

-Wanted to observe key attachment behaviours with caregivers.

-Takes place in a room with a 2 way mirror
-To judge attachment:
Proximity seeking
Exploration and secure-base behaviour
Stranger and separation anxiety
Response to reunion

1.Care giver and baby in room, encourages to explore
2.Stranger comes in and talks to them
3.Caregiver leaves them
4.Care giver returns, stranger leaves
5. care giver leaves baby on own
6.Stranger returns
7. Care giver reunites with baby

70
Q

What were the different types of attachment Ainsworth found?

A

Secure
Insecure-avoidant
Insecure-resistant

71
Q

Define Secure attachment

A

-Explore happily and keep going back top caregiver
-Have moderate stranger and separation anxiety
-Accept comfort at reunion

60-75% of British babies

72
Q

Define insecure-avoidant

A

-Explore freely but do not seek proximity or secure base behaviour
-Have no reaction when care giver leaves and stranger comes
-Makes little effort at reunion

20-25% British babies

73
Q

Define Insecure-resistant

A

-Seek greater proximity so explore less
-High levels of stranger and separation anxiety
-Resist comfort at reunion

3% British babies

74
Q

Evaluate Ainsworth’s ‘strange situation’

A

+Good predictive validity:
depending on what attachment type you are, we can predict what you might be like as an adult, can apply

-May be culture bound: test was produced in the UK and US, so it is difficult to know what it means in other cultures, as they have different experiences.

75
Q

Define imitation

A

The infant directly copies the caregiver’s expression

76
Q

What is sensitive responsiveness?

A

The caregiver correctly interprets the meaning of the infants communication and is motivated to respond appropriately.

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