Attachment Flashcards
What is attachment
A close 2 way emotional bond between 2 individuals. See eachother as essential for social and emotional security.
Proximity
People stay physically close to their attached figure
Separation distress
People are distressed when attached figure leaves
Secure base behaviour
Even when independent of own attachment, often make regular contact
Reciprocity
How 2 people interact, mother - infant interactions is reciprocated. Both react to each others signals. E.g baby smiles then mother says something back
Interactional synchrony
Mother and infant reflects both actions and emotions of the other and do this in co ordinated way
alert phase
Babies have alert phase and signal (eye contact) that they are ready for interaction.
Alert phase - Feldman and Eidelman
Mothers typically pick up on and respond to infant alertness 2/3s of the time
Melt off and Moore - Synchrony begins
What was the aim?
Aim - examine interactional synchrony in infants
Meltzoff and more - interactional synchrony
What is the method?
Controlled observation
Adult model displayed one of 3 facial expressions/ hand gesture.
To start with child had dummy placed in mouth to prevent response
Then dummy was removed
Meltzoff and Moore- interactional synchrony
What was the results?
Clear association between infant and adult model
Meltzoff and Moore- interactional synchrony
Conclusion
Suggest interactional synchrony is innate and reduces strength of any claim that imitative behaviour is learned.
Isabella eat all - Importance of attachment
Observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed degree of synchrony, they found high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother-infant attachment
Evaluation of caregiver infant relationships
+ high ecological validity as well controlled and highly observed
+ practical applications outweigh social sensitivity therefore research is valuable
- correlation doesn’t equals causation, internal validity decreased.
Schaffers stages of attachment
Aim:
Investigate formation of early attachment in particular age which intensive emotional bonds are formed and whom directed to.
Schaffers stages of attachment
Method:
60 babies: 31 male/29 female - Glasgow, working class families
What the did: mothers and babies visited at home every month for first year, again at 18 months
What they were asked: mothers asked to comment on specific behaviours about protest abides shown to 7 everyday separation e.g leaving the room
Why did they do this: measure the infants attachment, also assessed stranger anxiety
Schaffers stages of attachment
Findings:
25-30 weeks old: 50% of babies showed separation anxiety towards specific attachment
40 weeks: 80% had a specific attachment, 30% displayed multiple attachments
Schaffers stages of attachment
Evaluation
+ Good external validity - observations took place at home
+ longitudinal design - observed regularly
- limited sample characteristics - all same area and class
Schaffers stages of attachment
Stage 1
Asocial stage 0-8 weeks
- baby forms bonds to carers
- behaviour to objects and humans are similar
-happier in presence of humans
Schaffers stages of attachment
Stage 2
Indiscriminate stage
2-7 months babies display observable social behaviour
Show preference for people over objects
Prefer familiar adults
Accept cuddles and comfort from any adult
Do not show separation or stranger anxiety
Schaffers stages of attachment
Stage 3
Specific attachment
From 7 -12months display anxiety towards strangers and separation anxiety
Babies formed primary attachment figure
Schaffers stages of attachment
Stage 4
Multiple attachment
Secondary attachments formed by one year
Schaffers stages of attachment
Evaluation
- problem with asocial stage - as babies are immobile doesn’t mean they are asocial
- conflicting evidence on multiple attachments
- problem with how multiple attachment is assessed
Role of mother
Grossman 2002
Quality of infant attachment relates to quality of adolescent relationships
Quality of play does not link to quality of adolescent relationship
Role of father
Grossman 2002
Quality of play linked to adolescent attachment.
Suggests father has different role in attachment
Father as primary caregiver
Tiffany Field
Filmed 4 month old babes face to face interactions with:
Mother: primary caregiver - smiling imitating holding
Father: secondary caregiver - stimulation, play
Father: primary caregiver - smiling imitating holding
Suggests fathers can be nurturing attachment figure
Caregiver - infant attachment
Evaluation
- inconsistent findings on fathers - fathers can take on multiple roles depending on primary or secondary attachment
- if fathers have distinct role, why aren’t children without fathers different?
- internal validity decreased - fathers being secondary attachment due to traditional gender roles
Animal studies key term:
In psychology, studies are carried out on non human animal species rather than human.
Lorenz (1935)
Aim:
Lorenz observed phenomena of imprinting
Lorenz
Procedure
-Lorenz divided group of goose eggs
-half were hatched with mother (control group)
Other half hatched in incubator where first moving objects seen was Lorenz (experimental)
Lorenz
Findings
- incubator group followed Lorenz everywhere, control group followed mother
-when groups mixed, continued to follow their attached figure
Lorenz
Conclusion
- imprinting has formed; whereby bird species attach to follow first moving objects they see
- critical period where imprinting need to take place ; a few hours after hatching
Lorenz
Sexual imprinting
Investigated imprinting and adult male preferences
Observed birds that imprinted on human would display courtship behaviour
CASE STUDY: Lorenz described peacock saw tortoise as first moving objects , as an adult peacock directed courtship behaviour to tortoise - suggest sexual imprinting occurred.
Lorenz
Evaluation
- research can’t be generalised to humans as study was with birds
- opposing evidence - impact of imprinting on mating not as permanent as Lorenz believed
Harlow (1959)
Aim
Aim: observed new born rhesus monkeys kept alone in a cage usually died, but if they had a cloth to cuddle they usually survived
Harlow
Procedure
-reared 16 rhesus monkeys with 2 wire mothers
-One condition there was a wire monkey that gave milk
-Second condition a cloth covered mother was available