Attachment Flashcards
Define attachment.
A close emotional bond between an infant and their caregiver.
Define imprinting.
Newly hatched goslings attach to the first moving object they see.
Describe the method used in Lorenz’s study.
Divided goose eggs into two groups.
One group hatched with mother goose - natural environment.
Other was hatched in an incubator and Lorenz was the first moving object they saw.
Describe the findings of Lorenz’s study.
The control group followed the mother.
Group hatched in the incubator followed Lorenz.
Even when the groups were mixed up the control geese followed the mother and the incubator born ones followed Lorenz.
What did Lorenz find was the critical period for imprinting?
Depending on the species - a few hours.
If imprinting does not occur in that time, a chick does not attach itself to a mother figure.
Evaluate what Lorenz’s research can tell us about attachment in humans.
Geese are a different species, so have a different attachment system.
E.g. humans don’t imprint.
However humans may have some innate attachment systems.
Describe the method of Harlows study on attachment in monkeys.
16 baby monkeys taken from their mothers.
Caged with 2 wire model ‘mothers’.
One provided food and the other was covered in soft fabric (comfort).
Describe Harlows results.
Monkeys spent most time clinging to cloth mother and occasionally fed from wire mother.
When stressed by a mechanical toy monkeys would run to cloth mother for safety.
Suggests comfort is more important than food for monkeys forming an attachment.
Explain one strength of Harlows study of attachment.
Practical value as monkeys are similar to humans.
Helped social workers understand risk of child neglect/abuse.
Now understand the importance of proper attachment.
Explain one weakness of Harlows study of attachment.
Ethical issues.
Monkeys were taken from their real mothers very young and study meant that they suffered greatly in childhood and as adults.
Monkeys are also very similar to humans, so suffering was possibly quite human-like.
What is the key to learning attachment suggested in learning theory?
Food.
What is the main idea of the learning theory of attachment.
Suggests that attachment is a set of learned behaviours developed through a process of nurture.
Explain how classical conditioning plays a role in learning theory.
Food is the unconditioned response.
The carer becomes the conditioned stimulus and happiness the conditioned response.
Attachment then forms through association.
Explain how operant conditioning plays a role in learning theory.
The presence of the caregiver is reinforcing for the infant as they feel pleasure when fed.
Behaviour of infant is also reinforcing for the caregiver: postive = baby smiles, negative = crying stop.
Reinforcement process is then two way and strengthens an attachment.
Explain how Lorenz’s study provides counter evidence for learning theory.
Geese imprinted from birth, suggesting an innate process.
Challenges learning theory as it suggests attachment is due to nature and not nurture (through CC + OC)
Explain how Harlows attachment research provides counter evidence for learning theory.
He found monkey attach due to contact comfort rather than food.
Whilst learning theory suggests food is a key factor in forming attachments.
What is the law of accumulation serperation?
Bowlby says that every seperation from the mother adds up.
‘The best dose is zero dose’
What is the law of continuity.
Better attachment is formed if the caregiver responds in a predictable and constant way.
What is the critical period in Bowlby’s theory?
2 and a half years.
Define critical period.
If an attachment is not formed in this time, the infant will struggle to form one later.
How is Bowlby’s theory innate?
Suggests children are biologically preprogrammed to form attachments.
What does Bowlby say social releasers are?
Innate behaviours that encourage attention from an adult as they activate the adult attachment system.
Explain the internal working model.
Mental representations we carry with us of our primary caregiver.
This affects our future relationships and parenting.
What is monotropy?
Infants attachment to one (mono) particular caregiver is different and more important than others.
This bond develops the internal working model.
Explain how Harlow’s monkey experiment supports Bowlby’s idea of the internal working model.
Harlows monkeys had negative early attachment experiences as they were removed from mothers and raised by wire mothers. As adults they had issues with relationships e.g. were aggressive towards other.
Early attachment experiences form a blueprint for relationships and influence attachments later in life.
Explain how Lorenz’s research study supports Bowlby’s idea that attachment is innate.
Geese imprinted from birth so this behaviour couldn’t have been learnt.
Although humans don’t imprint, this suggests humans may also have innate attachments.
How does the Brazleton study support Bowlby’s idea of social releasers?
When mothers were told to ignore infants social releasers, infants initially showed distress then when continued to be ignored, curled up and lay motionless.
Supports the idea that the purpose of social releasers is to trigger adult attachment systems.
Define reciprocity.
When the infant responds the actions of another person.
Define interactional synchrony.
Where an infant mirrors the actions of another person.
They move in a co-ordinated way.
Why is reciprocity important?
Trevathen suggested that turn taking in infant-adult interaction is important for the development of social and language skills.
Why is intersectional synchrony important?
Securely attached mother-infant pairs shown more instances of interactions synchrony in the first year.
Suggests a strong emotional attachment is associated with high levels of synchrony.
What are the two main caregiver interaction?
Reciprocity.
Interactional synchrony.
Explain one weakness of research into caregiver interactions.
Cultural differences - interactional synchrony is not found in all cultures which weakens the support for the idea that it is important in the development of attachment.
E.g. in Kenya mothers have little physical contact or interactions with their children but have high proportions of secure attachments.
Suggests interactional synchrony may not be a universal feature of attachment formation.
Explain one strength of research into caregiver interactions.
Natural behaviour.
Infants do not know or care that they are being observed so their behaviour doesn’t change in a controlled observation.
Research has high validity.
What are the 3 key points in the role of the father.
Not biologically equipped to form attachments - less oestrogen.
Playmate role.
Sensitive responsiveness.
Evaluate the role of the father using evidence that he is a playmate.
Research found that fathers play interactions were more exciting in comparison to mothers.
Mothers play interactions were more affectionate and nurturing.
Suggests the role is a playmate rather than a sensitive parent who responds to the needs of their children. Results also confirm the mother plays a more nurturing role.
Evaluate the role of the father in regards to providing a sensitive and nurturing attachment.
Research evidence that fathers are not to provide this attachment.
Found that fathers were less able to detect low levels of infant distress in comparison to mothers.
Results support the biological explanations - lack of oestrogen means father is not equipped to form close attachments with children.
Unable to provide right attachment as unable to detect stress in their children.
Evaluate the role of the father in relation to close marriages.
If in an intimate marriage, father is able to form close attachments.
Makes who report higher levels of marital intimacy displayed a secure father-infant attachment and vice versa (lower levels - insecure attachment).
Suggests males can form secure attachments with children however strength of attach,ent depends on the father and mother relationship.
Name the Schaffers stages of attachment.
Asocial.
Indiscriminate.
Specific.
Multiple.
Describe the asocial stage of attachment.
Behaviour is similar towards humans and objects.
Describe the indiscriminate stage.
Baby prefers to be with humans and starts to recognise familiar people.
What stage is 0-8 weeks?
Asocial.
