Attachment Flashcards
How do babies play an active role in attachment?
Both caregiver and infant can initiate interactions.
What is one strength of research into caregiver infant interactions?
-One strength is that they are usually conducted in a lab and filmed.
-Means minimal distractions for baby as environment can be controlled
-means videos can be watched later so that the research does not miss anything
-has high validity and reliability
What is one limitation of research into caregiver infant interactions?
One limitation is that babies are hard to read
-Babies lack fin motor skills and much of their bodies are imobile
-means it is hard to know what their expressions mean
-therefore cannot be certain behaviours have a special meaning
What is a further limitation of caregiver infant interaction research?
That observing behaviour does not mean that it is significant
-synchrony and reprocity are simply names given to observable behaviours but this does not mean they have a good purpose
therefore cannot be sure that these are important for a Childs development
What has been found about wether children attach to fathers?
Schaffer and Emerson found they are not usually the primary attachment figure but are usually attached as a secondary attachment figure. 75% had attaching by 18 months.
What is a further limitation of research into the role of the father?
Findings vary due to the methodology used
-longitudinal studies such as Grossman et al have found the role of the father is different to the role of the mother but this would imply that single or lesbian parent children would be different to children with both a mother and a father and this is not the case
means distinctive role question remains unanswered
What is a strength of Harlows research into monkeys?
It has real world application in social care
-has helped social workers identify that there may be a risk factor in child development when children have a poor relationship with a primary care giver
means it has practical value
What role does operant conditioning play in attachment?
May explain why babies cry as the behaviour of crying gives them comfort so it is positive reenforcement
similarly can explain why caregivers respond to the crying as the crying ends when they provide the care so it is negative reenforcement.
What is one limitation of learning theory as an explanation for attachment?
There is a lack of evidence from animal studies
both Harlow and Lorenz found that food did not have an impact on their attachment figure
shows other factors are more important than food in the formation of animal attachments
What is one limitation of learning theory as an explanation for attachment?
lack of support form studies on human babies
Schaffer and Emerson found that babies usually attach to their mother even if they are not the one who provides the food.
show other things are more important than food
What is meant by social releasers?
Bowlbys idea that children are born with innate cute behaviours that begin the interactions between caregiver and infant so mothers and babies are hardwired to connect
What is meant by the internal working model?
Bowlbys idea that a Childs relationship with their primary attachment figure forms and internal idea of what relationships should be like so they are lily to apply that to all behaviours later in life and it could affect they relationship with their own children.
What is one strength of bowlbys research into attachment?
there is evidence supporting the role of social releasers
clear evidence that cute behaviours are designed to elicit interaction
study found when parents were instructed to ignore them the babies became distressed
illustrates the role of social releasers in emotional development
What is another strength of bowlbys research into attachment?
Support for the Internal working model
predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed form one generation to the next research found that mothers attachment to their own primary attachment figures affected the attachment to their own children
supports the idea that mothers ability to bond with children is affected by their internal working models
What is a limitation of Bowlbys theory of attachment?
One limitation is that children can from multiple attachments
-Schaffer and Emerson found that multiple attachments are often formed a months after a primary attachment is formed
-shows that other relationships have value other than just the primary attachment and may not have a different quality
