Attachment Flashcards
What is psychosocial development?
When children form relationships,
Interact with others,
Learn to understand and manage their feelings.
Outline 3 methods of communication between an infant and a caregiver
Interactions synchrony-
Form of tun taking as infant moves body to the rhythm of caregivers voice
Reciprocity-
Both producing responses from each other
Mimicking-
Infant copies the actions of their caregiver
Outline research into interactional synchrony
Isabella et al.
Found that infants with secure attachments demonstrated intersectional synchrony in the first year of their life.
Outline research into mimicry
Meltzoff and moore
Infants aged two to three weeks would mimic parents,
Mimicry is an innate ability that helps in the formation of an attachment
Outline research into bodily attachment
Klaus and kennel
Compares mothers who had extended contact with child and ones who only had contact when feeding,
Attachments were stronger with more bodily contact
Evaluate klaus and kennel
Strength
Real world effects,
Hospitals give the mothers their infant as soon as possible
Durkin
Disputed claiming that attention was given to unmarried mothers and poor
Chateau and wiberg
Did same as klaus and kennel but with Swedish mothers and found similar results.
Describe and evaluate a study into interactional synchrony
Condon and sander (1974)
Videos of parents talking to their newborns were analysed frame by frame
. The behaviour of the newborn was noted.
Results
Newborns coordinate their movements and gestures with human speech
Concluded that IS starts at a young age
Meltzoff and moore claimed this was two weeks
High ecological validity,
Parents and babies in their own environment
However
Behaviour of newborns is open to interpretation
Describe Schaffer and Emerson
Find age when attachments start and how intense they were
Studied 60 babies
Working class area in Glasgow
1st year- observing them every 4 weeks
Then at 18 months
Interviews also conducted with mothers
,
Questions include who baby looks at and responds to
Strength of attachment measured by:
Separation anxiety-
How they feel away from their caregiver
Stranger anxiety-
How they feel around people who aren’t their caregiver
Findings:
First specific attachment formed by 50% of infants between 25-32 weeks
Multiple attachments formed by 18 months, 31% had 5 or more attachments
Outline the stages of attachment found by Schaffer and Emerson
Asocial
Indiscriminate
Specific attachment
Multiple attachment
Describe the asocial stage
0-6 weeks
Attention seeking behaviour
Describe the indiscriminate stage
6 weeks - 7 months
Seeks attention from anyone
Preferences are shown to familiar faces
Describe specific attachment dtage
7-11 months
Child is primarily attached to main caregiver
If separated, child becomes distressed
Describe the multiple attachment stage
11-
Multiple attach,ents for different purposes,
Mother for loving care
Father for play
What were opposing beliefs about multiple attachments
Bowlby
Children had one primary attachment
Other attachments formed after the primary attachment were less important
Rutter(1995)
All attachments are of equal importance
Attachments combine to help a child’s internal working model
What is a strength to multiple attachments
Evolutionary advantage
If a child loses a figure, there are others to take its place
Explain the role of the father and factors of a father-child dynamic
Researchers believe the father acts more like a playmate.
Mothers are often the primary caregiver because of their sensitive responsiveness,
This can also be found in fathers who are the main caregiver
Factors
Degree of sensitivity-
Helps to develop secure attachments
Marital intimacy-
Attachent to children = attachment to partner
Single parent fathers-
Form similar to own parents
Supportive co parenting-
Level of support father gives to his partner affects attachment to children
Outline research into the role of the father
Geiger(1996)
Fathers playing is more exciting than mothers. Supports view as playmate
Lamb(1987)
Children interact with fathers when in a positive mental state, seeking stimulation rather than comfort
Also found
If father becomes primary caregiver they become more responsive,
Not a biological ability limited to women
Hardy(1999)
Fathers are less able than mothers to detect low levels of infant stress,
Unsuitable as primary caregivers
Describe father attachment implications
Secure attachments means
Better relationships with peers
Less problem behaviour
Better at regulating emotions
If without father:
Do less well at school
Higher levels of risk taking and aggression, especially in boys
Suggests fathers can help prevent negative developmental outcomes
Evaluate research into the role of the father
Pedersen(1979)
Outcomes could be due to socio-economic backgrounds, many studies have focused on female single mothers and poorer families
Evidence suggests fathers are just as capable of displaying responsiveness but social conventions see fathers differently
Amount of interaction is important
Describe Ross et al(1975)
Correlational study
Measured number of nappies changed and strength of attachment
Results
Positive correlation
Conc
More time a father spends engaged in care giver activities, the stronger the attachment will be
Easy to replicate
Practical applications for parenting
Lacks temporal validity, based in 1975
Correlations cannot show cause
Describe Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg(1988)
Meta analysis of 32 cross-cultural studies of attachment
Using strange situation
Most secure-
Britain 75%
Most avoidant-
West Germany 35%
Most resistant-
Israel 29%
Although secure attachment was the most common, cultural variations may explain child rearing styles rather than attachment.
Strange situation isn’t culturally biased towards western child rearing practices
Strength
Useful diagnostic tool
Limit
Small samples, hard to generalise
Variations within cultures greater than between cultures
Not suitable for studying cross cultural variations as based on western ideals
Describe and evaluate Harlow
1950s
Separated newborn monkeys from their mothers.
Presented with 2 surrogate mothers
One was wire and had milk
Other was softer but didn’t dispense milk
Monkeys preferred the soft monkey even though they didn’t show nourishment
Only went to metal when needed to be fed
Concluded that there was more to a mother child bond than nourishment
Feelings of comfort and security are critical to maternal infant bonding which leads to healthy psychosocial development
What is meant by imprinting
When an animal attaches to a moving thing,
Usually immediately after they hatch
Innate instinct that is genetically passed down rather than a learned behaviour
Describe Lorenz(1935)
Hatched a group of grey lag geese
Half were incubated
Half left with their mother
Once hatched, incubated geese followed him around like they would a mother
Geese imprinted on Lorenz
L tested by putting them all together in an upside down box
Once removed, only his imprinted geese followed him
What did Lorenz conclude
Critical period
Generally between 2013-16 hours after hatching
If hatchlings didn’t imprint during this time, imprinting didn’t happen
Once imprinted. Cannot imprint on anything,
Not reversible
Describe learning theory
Attachment happens because the infant associated caregiver with food
Two types,
Classical
Operant
What ethical issues are associated with Lorenz
Geese caused distress by being separated by mothers
However geese were well cared for during the study
Describe classical conditioning
Response is produced naturally by stimulus
Becomes associated with another stimulus that’s not normally associated with that particular response
How are attachment learned by food
Food(unconditioned stimulus)
Produces a natural response of pleasure(unconditioned response)
Being paired with a caregiver(conditional stimulus)
Describe operant conditioning
Where an action with a pleasurable outcome is repeated, the behaviour will be repeated
Describe Bowlbys Monotropic theory
Evolution is the primary explanation for attachments
Attachment evolved to makes sure offspring remain close to caregivers
Social releases
Complimentary system develops only if carers respond to these
Critical period
Internal working model
What are social releases
Crying
Smiling, vocalising
Following and clinging
Increase their chance of survival by getting attention
Describe the internal working model
First and strongest bond forms a model or template for all future relationships
Disruption could have repercussions later on
Evaluate Bowlby’s theory
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
Multiple attachments are the norm
Rutter(1981)
Infants form a range of attachment with many individuals
Lamb et al(1982)
Infants form multiple attachments for different reasons, not hierarchical
IWM is supported
Imprinting applies to precocial animals, humans are altricial
Describe the method for the Strange Situation
Mother and infant placed in room together.
Toys
After child explores the room, stranger enters the room
Mother leaves baby with stranger
After a few minutes, mother returns
Based on how infants responded, Ainsworth identified 3 types of parent-child attachments
Outline criticisms of the strange situation
Child’s temper may have a strong influence on attachment
Attachment varies from culture,
Wasn’t counted in research
Describe the secure attachment
Secure-
Most common
Healthiest
Infant prefers their parent
Figure is used as a secure base to explore,
Sought out in times of stress
In SS- distressed when mother left room , happy to see them
Caregivers are sensitive na respond to their needs
Describe the avoidant attachment
Child is unresponsive to parent
Doesn’t care if parent leaves
Reacts to the parent same way they would a stranger
SS child is slow to show a positive reaction
Caregiver is more insensitive and inattentive to their needs
Describe the resistant attachment
Child shows clingy behaviour
Reject attachment figures attempts to interact with them
Too fearful of toys in the room
Disturbed during separation and become angry with parent
Difficult to comfort
Caregiver has inconsistent level of response to their child
Describe research for cultural variations in attachment
Malin(1997)
Observed Australian Aboriginal infants who are discouraged from exploring because of threats and distractions of food.
Stay close to mothers and use them as secure bases
Because of differences in child rearing, infants labelled as insecurely attached and many placed in care
What is the PDD model
Protest despair detachment
How a child comforts themselves when separated from parent
Describe research into maternal separation
Robertson and Robertson(1971)
A secure child experienced severe distress when he spent 9 days in a residential nursery following his mother’s hospitalisation.
When mother returned,
John appeared confused and tried to get away from her.
Negative effects evident years later
John went through stages of PDD, suffered serious irreversible damage,
Supported Bowlbys theory
Outline a study that is an implication for long-term deprivation
Furstenberg snd Kiernan(2001)
Children who have experienced divorce suffer not on,y emotionally but also in academia and psychical health
What is meant by privation
Children are not given the opportunity to form attachment bonds
Describe a case study for Privation
Curtiss(1977) and Rymer(1993)
Genie
Denied human contact, beaten, strapped to a potty seat until she was discovered at the age of 13.
Couldn’t stand or speak
Developed language skills and her IQ improved from 38 to 74 between 1971 and 1977
Describe the disinhibited attachment
Behaviour that institutionalised children exhibit
Clingy, attention seeking behaviour,
Indiscriminate sociability to adults
Describe research into effects of institutionalisation
Goldfarb(1943)
Compared 15 children in institutions
Aged 6 months to 3 1/2
To
15 children who went straight from their natural mothers to foster care
By 3, the socially isolated children scored worse on measures of abstract thinking, social maturity, rule following and sociability.
Socially isolated children continue to perform poorly between 10 and 14
Average IQ of 72 compared to other group with 95
Describe research into maternal separation
Bowlby)1944)
44 thieves
Compared 44 juvenile thieves with non thieves who had experienced emotional problems
Found that 32% of thieves exhibited affection-less psychopathy and lack of social conscience
86% of affectionless psychopaths had experienced maternal separation compared to 17% who were not categorised as affectionless psychopaths
Supports that maternal deprivation can have long lasting effects
Describe Tizard and Hodges(1978)
Studied private’s children in institutionalised care in their first 4 months
Couldn’t form attachements because of high staff turnover and a no staff-children relationship policy
Adopted, returned home or remained,
All accessed at 8 and 16 and compared with control group
Remained,
No strong attachments , had problems relating to peers
Adopted,
String attachments, had trouble with relationships outside of the family
Returned,
Poor family and peer relationships, behavioural problems
Show’s care can have negative effects but can develop attachments when in a loving environment.
Describe a study on Romanian orphans
Rutter(1998)
In Romania, abortion and contraception banned,
Orphanages unable to cope with influx of children.
Lacked in physical and emotional factors, split into age groups meant no older figures.
Many taken to British couples who were monitored by rutter
Longitudinal study
Quasi-experiment
IV- age
C1- adopted before six months
C2- adopted between 6 months and 2 years
C3- adopted after 2 years
DV was cognitive functioning
111 Romanian orphans assessed upon arrival and when aged 4
Rutter found that 50% were poor CF at initial assessment, also underweight.
CG of 52 British didn’t show these.
By 4, showed improvement in physical and cognitive development,
Adopted before six months, doing as well as British
What are Bowlbys four main principles
Attachment has an evolutionary basis
Humans create one main attachment
We develop an internal working model during infancy
There is a critical period of attachment
Describe evidence for the internal working model
Hazen and Shaver(1987)
Developed a two-part love quiz published in a local paper
First part-
Asked about attachment to parents
Second part-
Current opinions on romantic love
620 responses analysed
Correlation between childhood experiences of attachment and current opinions
Volunteers sample, could’ve attracted a particular type of person
Self report, inaccuracy
What is the critical period for attachment in humans
3 years
