attachment Flashcards
Caregiver infant interactions +-
Reciprocity-respond to each others behaviours like a conversation.
Interactions synchrony - copy or mimic behaviours in time.
+ adult and infants paired and perform facial gestures. Babies as little as 12 days old could do international synchrony.
-babies are always moving questioning validity of research.
Stages of attachment +-
Asocial- 0-2m- similar responses to objects and people.
Indiscriminate stage- 2-6m- prefers human interaction but doesn’t care who from.
Specific attachment-7-12m- preference to one caregiver, social and separation anxiety.
Multiple attachment- 12m+- several people, secondary .
+Glaswegian infants parents asked about separation and stranger anxiety, 7m -50% had separation and stranger anxiety, by 9m 30% multiple attachments.
- lacks population validity, only infants from Glasgow individualistic culture, all from working class backgrounds.
Role of the father Geiger and field
Geiger- play interactions more exciting compared to mothers, more nurturing , father as a play mate.
Field, filmed baby interactions with primary caregiver fathers,mothers and secondary fathers. Found that primary father and mother interactions were similar and father can be primary caregiver.
Animal studies Lorenz and Harlow
Lorenz- gosling eggs split into 2 groups one with mother others in incubator.when hatched, incubator eggs first saw Lorenz and others first saw their mother goose. Placed in box mixed around and either follow Lorenz or mother. Imprinting first thing they see.
Harlow- 2 fake mother monkeys made one out of soft cloth the other who dispensed milk. They scared the monkeys and saw where they went. When frightened all clinched to cloth. Seek contact over comfort.
Animal studies evaluation
+ Harlow study gives insight into attachment, how important physical comfort is, helped social workers understand neglected children.
- generalising to humans, Lorenz not however monkeys as more similar.
- ethical concerns, animals can’t withdraw and we’re scared in it.
Explanations of attachment , learning theory and bowlbies monotropic theory
LT- classical conditioning, food and mother, operant, a babies cry negative reinforcement.
- Harlow contact comfort over food. Suggest love and co,fort causes attachment not food.
-babies shown to tend to attach to mothers regardless who feeds them.
MT- born with innate drive,helps to survive, natural selection,one specific attachment,social releasers, critical and sensitive period, IWW predict future relationships.
+ love quiz
-babies shown to form multiple attachments soon after first specific attachment.
Strange situation procedure and findings
Asses the quality and types of attachment between a caregiver and infant.
Consisted of 4 components:
1. Mother and baby in an unfamiliar room.
2. A stranger enters the room.
3. The mother leaves the room.
4. The mother returns.
Analysis lead to infant being securely attached, insecure-avoidant or insecure-resistant.
1.SA- explore the room using Kroger as safe base, IA-explores room,IR-doesn’t explore clingy to mum.
2.SA-moderate stranger anxiety,IA- low stranger anxiety,IR- high stranger anxiety.
3.SA- moderate separation anxiety,IA-low separation anxiety,IR- high separation anxiety.
4.SA-reunion joy,IA-little reaction,IR-resists attempt of mothers comfort on reunion.
Findings- secure most common at 70% of US infant were secure.
Evaluation of strange situation
+ inter observer reliability, multiple observations took place and used predetermined operationalised behavioural categories like crying for separation anxiety. More reliable data.
- cultural bias, Japanese mothers are rarely separated from babies so they may show higher separation anxiety.
Cultural variations in attachment research and evaluation
Procedure- meta analysis investigating attachment using 32 strange situation studies in 8 different countries.
Findings-secure was most common. Varied from 75% in Britain to 50% in china.
The difference within countries was actually higher than those between countries.
Germany- insecure-avoidant showed high levels , individualistic culture encouraged to be more independent from early age.
Japan- insecure-resistant, showed High levels, often live in collective cultures therefore often have multiple caregivers and little experience of being left alone.
Evaluation, + meta analysis, large samples to better see patterns in findings.
- more variation within countries, mayb down to different locations like living in urban and rural areas of the country demonstrates cultural variation.
- ethnocentrism, strange situation was developed based on US cultural norms, e.g German children showing high levels of insecure avoidant in the US terms but in Germany they may consider this as secure attachment as they are being independent.
Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation and evaluation
Believe that if infant is unable to develop a secure,continuous relationship with their mother before 2yrs old then the child would have difficulty forming relationships and be at risk from behavioural and emotional disorders.
Critical period- if prolonged cumulative separation from mother occurs before 2 yrs old there will be serious consequences.
Consequences- abnormal emotional development, unable to experience guilt or emotions for others ( affection less psychopath), abnormal IQ development .
Evaluation- 44 thieves, children caught stealing, classed some as AP, 12/14 of the AP had experienced Segoe ration from mothers compared to 5/30 of non AP.
Showing early separation is positively correlated with AP and criminal behaviour.
- correlation not causation, due to lack of control from participants backgrounds there may be other factors affecting affection less psychopathy like poor education.
Effects of institutionalisation: Romanian orphans
ERA, English and Romanian adoptees, 165 Romanian children investigated at regular intervals in life 4-15yrs old who had lived in institutions p compared to English adoptees.
Findings- Romanian physically smaller,lower IQ, and delayed intellectual development.the orphans who were adopted before 6 months caught up to the English adoptees IQ and weight. Adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment (equal affection to strangers spans ppl they know.)
Effects of institutionalisation:
Low IQ,delayed languages development,quasi autism,disinhibited attachment, delayed physical development, impaired adult relationships.
effects of institutionalisation evaluation
+real life application, orphanages and children’s homes focus on having one or two caregivers ‘key worker’ to help develop a normal attachment with a child.
-Romanian orphanages were not typical orphanages, extreme conditions, sever lack of nurses,medical resources and space.
Influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships and evaluation
Bowlbys iwm- the quality of attachment to primary caregiver predicts the quality of future relationships.
Love quiz- questions about current adult relationships, attitudes abt love and their attachment to their parents as an infant. Found that securely attached individuals reported more happiness and trust in their relationships and on average lasted for longer.
Childhood- secure, form good friendships, IA, victims of bullying, IR, more likely to be bullies.
- methological issues, love quiz if self report,not respond honestly due to social desirability to present themselves positively.
- correlation not causation ,positive correlation wasn’t strong.
