attachment

Question 1

What is attachment?

Answer 1

Attachment is an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one.

Question 2

Behaviours that indicate attachment (maccoby)

Answer 2

-proximity seeking
-separation distress and pleasure when reunited
-general orientation towards specific individual
-joy on reunion

Question 3

Interactional synchrony

Answer 3

Is where an infant mirrors the actions of another person eg: facial expressions and body movements

Question 4

Meltzoff and Moore study

Answer 4

Found that infants as young as 2 or 3 weeks old imitated specific facial and hand gestures.
The study was conducted with an adult model who displayed 1 of 3 facial expressions.
A dummy was placed in infants mouth to prevent response.
Following the display the dummy was removed and the child’s expression was filmed.
An association between the child’s behaviour and the adults one was found.

Question 5

Reciprocity

Answer 5

Interactions between carers and infants result in mutual behaviour where both parties are able to produce responses from eachother.

Question 6

Feldman and eildelmans discover on “alert phases”

Answer 6

Babies have periodic alert phases and signal they are ready for interaction.
Mothers pick this up around 2/3 of the time.

Question 7

Evaluation of care giver interactions

Answer 7

-a strength of observation into caregiver interactions is that they use well-controlled procedures with both the mother and infant being filmed.
-a weakness of observing infant interactions is that it is difficult to know what they mean by these interactions.
-a weakness of research is that it could be considered unethical as it is socially sensitive
-a weakness of observations is that they don’t tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity

Question 8

what are the stages of attachment?

Answer 8

asocial
indiscriminate
specific
multiple

Question 9

What did grossman conduct into the father’s role in child’s development?

Answer 9

he conducted a longitudinal study of 44 families comparing the role of fathers and mothers to the child’s attachment experiences at 6/10 and 16.
He found that father’s play style ( sensitive/ challenging and interactive) was a better predictor of the child’s long term attachment than the early measures of attachment type that the infant had with their father.

Question 10

What did field find in his study on fathers as primary caregivers?

Answer 10

Field filmed 4 month old babies face to face interaction with their parents in 3 different situations:
-mothers (primary)
-fathers (primary)
fathers (secondary)
Primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants compared to secondary caregivers. This behaviour appears to be more important in building attachment with the infant. Therefore fathers can be more nitiding. Key to attachment is level of responsiveness NOT the gender.

Question 11

Factors influencing the father- child attachment:

Answer 11

Degree of sensitivity
Type of attachment with own parents
Marital intimacy
Supportive co-parenting

Question 12

Evaluation of father as primary caregiver studies

Answer 12

A weakness of research is the inconsistent findings on the role of fathers in attachment due to researchers being intrested in different research questions
A weakness it doesn’t explain why children without fathers develop no differently
A limitation is that there are numerous influence which might impact on a child emotional development
A weakness of research is that it doesn’t explain why fathers don’t generally become primary attachment figures.

Question 13

Lorenz animal study Aim, procedure, findings and conclusion:

Answer 13

Aim: to understand imprinting on geese
Procedure: 2 lots of geese eggs divided into 2 groups
-1 w/ mother
-1 in an incubator and saw Lorenz first and followed him around.
Findings: when put back together they divided into 2 groups again
-imprinting restricted to critical period
-imprinting is reversible

Question 14

John bowlbys theory on the critical period of developing an attachment

Answer 14

He theorised that there is a critical period for developing attachment of (0-5 years). If an attachment has not been developed during this period the child will suffer from irreversible developmental consequences, such as reduced intelligence and increased aggression.

Question 15

Lorenz evaluation

Answer 15

Problems with generalising birds to humans
Support for imprinting: guiton found that chicks could imprint on an inflated yellow glove. Found that it could be reversed by spending time with own species.
Lorenz: saw a peacocks first moving object was a tortoise and imprinted on it

Question 16

Harlows animal study: aim, procedure, findings and conclusions

Answer 16

Aim: to understand the defect of affection within attachment
Procedure: a monkey was given two conditions a wire and cloth monkey that both fed it
Findings: monkey went to cloth mother in anxiety induced situations (provided contact comfort£
and led to be bad parental monkeys and had bad social skills in adolescence.
Conclusion: affection has a large impact on child’s development

Question 17

Evaluation for Lorenz and Harlow

Answer 17

Lorenz and Harlow: lacks generalisability to humans

Psychologists have questioned whether imprinting has a long lasting effect on later mating behaviour.

Harlow: supports importance of primary caregiver and infant attachments

Harlow: has practical value as it helped social workers w/ child neglect and abuse.

Harlow: unethical causes distress to monkey

Question 18

Learning theory for attachment: classical conditioning

Answer 18

Food -> happy baby
mother + food -> happy baby
mother -> happy baby

Behaviour is learnt through association .

Question 19

Learning theory for attachment: operant conditioning

Answer 19

Infant hungry. Motivated to reduce discomfort.
Feeding reduces discomfort and produces feeling of pleasure
Food becomes a primary reinforcer. Reinforces the behaviour to avoid discomfort.
The person who supplies the food is associated with avoiding discomfort (secondary reinforcer)
The child seeks the person who can give the reward and so becomes attached

Question 20

Evaluation for learning theor

Answer 20

Schaffer and Emerson found that the best attachments were with parents that paid the most attention to the baby not who fed them the most
Harlows research proved that babies form better attachment with adults that provide comfort not food

Question 21

Bowlbys attachment theory

Answer 21

MONO TROPIC THEORY: the idea that infants have an inbuilt tendency to make an initial attachment with one attachment figure called primary caregiver, usually the mother
INTERNAL WORKING MODEL: based on experiences of attachment the infant will develop a model about emotional relationships. Bowlby called this the internal working model. A cluster of concepts about what to expect from others.
SOCIAL RELEASERS: innate, infant social behaviours that stimulate adult interaction and caregiving.
CRITICAL PERIODS: limited window for attachment to happen- 6-18 months sensitive period. After that it becomes increasingly difficult for attachment to happen.

Question 22

Evaluation of bowlbys theory of attachment:

Answer 22

Lorenz supports the evolutionary approach as his geese imprinted on the first thing they saw to be kept safe.

Schaffer and Emmerson. Children show many attachments, but one primary attachment. Observed that mothers who responded to infants demands and more interaction have a stronger attachment.

Minnesota Longitudinal Study. Followed from infancy to adolescence. Found continuity between early attachment to later behavioral and emotional behaviour

Rutter et al (1998) contradicts Bowlby’s idea of a critical period as it shows adoptees can form attachment after their first birthday. Can form attachment after critical period. Therefore, it is suggested critical period should be called sensitive period as attachments are quicker formed then but can still be formed after this period; just takes longer

Bowlby’s theory cannot explain how some children suffer the long term consequences of not being able to form attachment while other children don’t as they are able to cope with poor attachment experiences
Schaffer and Emmerson found that children form many attachments

Question 23

The strange situation aim and procedure

Answer 23

Aim: to investigate how infants (9-18 months) behave under conditions of mild stress and novelty.
Procedure: stress and separation created by the presence of a stranger and separation from a caregiver testing stranger anxiety and separation anxiety, willingness to explore and reunion behaviour.
Data is recorded by time sampling every 15 seconds.

Question 24

Strange situation steps:

Answer 24

1) mum and baby play
2) strangers enters and interacts with baby
3) mum leaves and stranger tries to comfort baby
4) mum returns, comforts baby, stranger leaves
5)mum leaves again
6) stranger returns, comforts baby
7) mum returns

Question 25

Secure attachment types reaction to
1)willingness to explore
2)stranger anxiety
3) separation anxiety
4)reunion behaviour
5)percentage

Answer 25

1)high
2)high
3)some easy to soothe
4) enthusiastic
5) 66%

Question 26

Insecure-avoidant attachment types reaction to
1)willingness to explore
2)stranger anxiety
3) separation anxiety
4)reunion behaviour
5)percentage

Answer 26

1) high
2)low
3) indifferent
4) avoids contact
5) 22%

Question 27

Insecure-resistant attachment types reaction to
1)willingness to explore
2)stranger anxiety
3) separation anxiety
4)reunion behaviour
5)percentage

Answer 27

1)low
2) high
3) distressed
4) seeks and rejects
5) 12%

Question 28

Evaluation of the strange situation:
PERVERT

Answer 28

PRACTICAL ISSUES: main and solo man found an additional attachment type- insecure disorganised
ETHICAL ISSUES: no as it is in a real life setting and so doesn’t cause any more distress than would be expected irl
RELIABILITY: main er al found that all identified before 18 months of age were still securely attached at 6 years
VALIDITY: ecological validity, found that attachment behaviour is much stronger in a lab than at home
ETHNOCENTRICITY: N/A
REPRESENTATIVITY: all middle class white kids
THEORETICAL ISSUES: bowlbys theory

Question 29

Evaluating effects of attachment type: prior & glaser

Answer 29

secure attachment = positive outcomes
(Less emotional dependence, higher achievements)
Avoidant attachment= later aggressiveness and generally negative effect.
Resistant attachment: greater anxiety and withdrawn behaviour

Shows this study is reliable as it has consistent results over time

Question 30

Evaluation effects of attachment type: hazen and shaver

Answer 30

Used the love quiz to show that attachment type was associated with later romantic behaviour.

Self report technique -> bias
-> memory loss

Question 31

evaluation of factors influencing attachment type: Ainsworth (sensitivity)

Answer 31

mothers of securely attached infants= more sensitive, accepting, responsive and accessible.
mothers of insecurely attached infants= unresponsive to being crying and less affectionate
mothers of avoidant infants= more rejecting, paid less attention to infants when entering the room

MOTHERS BEHAVIOUR CAUSES ATTACHMENT TYPE: NURTURE.

Question 32

evaluation of factors influencing attachment type: temperament

Answer 32

if a baby has a naturally bad temperament, this will In turn influence how the mother responds to them, which will influence the type of attachment they have.
children w/ difficult temperaments may be more prone to upset around change so could appear insecurely attached despite having a secure attachment with their mother.
THE TEMPERAMENT F CHILD AFFECTS THE BEHAVIOUR OF INFANT: NATURE

Question 33

what is an individualist culture and give an example?

Answer 33

They value independence and the importance of the individual.
Western countries such as the UK and America are classed as Individualist.

Question 34

what is a collectivist culture and give an example?

Answer 34

A collectivist culture emphasises the importance of the group or collective.
Japan and Israel are examples pf those cultures

Question 35

van ljzendoorn and kroonenburg meta analysis using ainsworths strange situation general findings

Answer 35

A bond develops between infant and one primary attachment figure

Regardless of cultural differences
secure attachment Is the norm across the world.

Question 36

What are the flaws to looking at cross- cultural similarities and cross-cultural differences?

Answer 36

rothbaum et al argued that the attachment theory isn’t relevant because it is so rooted in American culture
-the sensitivity hypothesis- rothbaum argued that it reflected western ideas o autonomy
-the continuity hypothesis- competence isn’t defined in the same way in eastern cultures.
-secure base hypothesis- dependence orientated relationships are valued

Question 37

bowlbys maternal deprivation theory

Answer 37

a continual disruptions of the attachment between infant and primary caregiver could result in a long-term cognitive social and emotional difficulties for that infant

Question 38

What does long-term separation lead to?

Answer 38

Delinquency, reduced intelligence, increased aggression, depression, and affectionate psychopathy

Question 39

What was Bowlby’s 44 thieves study? aim

Answer 39

Aim: to investigate the long-term effects of maternal deprivation on people in order to see whether the delinquents of suffered deprivation

Question 40

What was Bowlby’s 44 thieves study procedure?

Answer 40

Procedure: Bowlby interviewed 44 adolescencts who were referred to a child protection program in London, because of stealing Bowlby selected another group of 44 children to act as the control group (children who had emotional problems, but had not yet committed any crimes)
He interviewed parents from both groups to state whether their children had experienced separation during the critical period and for how long.

Question 41

What were Bowlby 44 thieve study findings?

Answer 41

He found that more than half of the juvenile thieves had been separated from their mothers for longer than six months. During the first five years in the control group he found the only two had had such a separation.

He also found that several of the young thieves 32%. Sign of affection of psychopathy.

He also found that 60 children who had spent time apart from their mothers before the age of four showed lower achievement in school

Question 42

What is the conclusion to thief study?

Answer 42

Affection psychopath show little concerned for others, and our enable to form relationships. bowlby concluded that the reason for the antisocial behaviour and emotionless problems in the first group is due to maternal deprivation.

Question 43

A evaluation for the 44 thieves study

Answer 43

There is supporting evidence that Bowlby provided in the form of clinical interviews of retrospective data on those who had and had not separated from their primary caregiver

This meant the bowlby was asking the participants to look back and recall separations. These memories may not be accurate. He also conducted and design the experiment himself, which may have led to experimental bias.

Another criticism is that it concluded, the affection of psychopathy was caused by maternal deprivation. This is correlational data, and as such only shows a relationship between these two variables other external variables, such as diet, parental income, education, et cetera may have affected the behaviour of the thieves and not as concluded the disruption of attachment bond.

Question 44

Romanian orphan studies, effects of institutionalisation key study 1 rutter and Sonia barke

Answer 44

They wanted to see whether disinhibited attachment was more likely for those who were institutionalised

They conducted a longitudinal study of 165, Romanian children who spend their early lives in institutions

111 of these were adopted before the age of two and 54 by the age of four

adoptees were tested at regular intervals for 6,11 and 15 years to assess the physical social and cognitive development.
The information was gathered through interviews with parents and teachers.

Progress was compared to 52 British children adopted in the UK before six months

Question 45

What conclusions can you gather from Rutter and Sonia bark study

Answer 45

Long-term consequences may be less severe than was once thought, if children have the opportunity to form attachments

If the children do not form attachments then the consequences are likely to be more severe

Question 46

Romanian often studies effects of issues, socialisation the Bucharest intervention project zeanah et al
key study 2

Answer 46

They carried out a longitudinal study on the physical growth and health of 36 Romanian orphans adopted by Canadian families and compare them to a group of children raised in normal Canadian families

Data was collected for each child at three time points, 11 months after adoption at 4 1/2 years of age and at 10 1/2 years of age

Question 47

findings of the Bucharest early intervention project?

Answer 47

The first two sets of results showed that the adoptees were behind the non-institutionalised group, however, by 10 1/2 years old, there were no difference between the two groups remaining or had caught up with the children raised in normal Canadian families

Question 48

Other effects of institutionalisation deprivation dwarfism

Answer 48

Children who are institutionalised are usually smaller. Lack of emotional care could affect with hormones causing under development.

garner studied the case of an eight month girl who had to be fed through feeding tube due to malformation. Her mum would never cuddle her due to fear of dislodging the tube

at eight months old She was withdrawn and physically stunted and she was admitted to hospital with attention of hospital staff. She thrived off the attention. return to normal,

therefore emotional disturbances may affect the production of growth hormones

Question 49

Evaluation of effects of institutionalisation

Answer 49

There is real life application, studying the Romanian orphans has enhanced start understanding of the effects of institutionalisation. Such results have led to improvements in the way children are cared for in institutions. One or two caregivers place Central well for the child this is called a key worker

It’s hard to research the effects of institutionalisation in isolation, because the children were dealing with multiple factors, which functioned as confounding participant variables

The remaining orphanages were not typical. The conditions were so bad that the results may not be able to be applied to the understanding of improving institutionalised care.