Attachment Flashcards
Define attachment
Infants and caregivers develop deep and lasting emotional bonds both members of this emotional relationship seek closeness and feel more secure when close to their attachment figure the strength of the bonds can be seen in complex two way caregiver infant interactions such as reciprocity and interactioanl synchrony
What is reciprocity ?
Taking mutual turn taking form of interaction
What is interactional synchrony?
A simultaneous interaction between the infant and caregiver who appear to be acting rhythmically with matching behaviour and emotional states
What was meltzoff and Moore facial gesture study?
An experimenter displayed facial gestures such as sticking a tongue out and opening their mouth in shock to 12-21 day old infants recording of the infants responses were rated by people blind to the experiment
It was found infant responses matched the experimenters facial expressions these results suggest the ability to observe and reciprocate through imitation is present from a very early age
How have reciprocity studies used inter rater reliability?
Many studies use multiple observers blind to the true aims of the experiment which indicates high internal validity
What’s a disadvantage of infants not being able to communicate their thoughts or emotions?
Research relies on inferences which are considered unscientific
What’s the problem of investigating childbearing techniques?
Social sensitivity is a concern
Women may find their life choices criticised such as mothers who decide to go back to the workplace after giving birth
What are the 4 stages of attachment and who idenfiied it ?
Schaffer
Stage 1-asocial
Stage 2-indiscriminate attachment
Stage 3-specific attachment
Stage 4-multiple attachment
What is asocial stage and when does it happen?
0-6 weeks
Babies display innate behaviour that ensure proximity to any potential caregiver they also display this behaviour to non human objects
What’s the indiscriminate attachment stage and when does it happen?
6 weeks-7 months
Infants develop the ability to tell the difference between humans and objects
However they don’t show stranger anxiety or separation anxiety
What is the specific attachment stage and when does it happen?
7-9 months
Babies form a strong attachment to a primary caregiver and show separation and stranger anxiety
What’s the multiple attachment stage and when does it happen?
9/10+ months
The infant starts to form attachments with other regular caregivers and stranger anxiety starts to decrease
What was Schaffer and Emerson stages of attachment study?
Longitudinal observation
Procedure:60 wc babies and their families from Glasgow were studied in the first year data was collected through monthly observations and interviews with an additional follow up visit at 18 months
Two types of behaviours were assessed:stranger anxiety, signs of discomfort when left with the researcher and separation anxiety, discomfort when primary caregiver moved to another room
Findings: separation anxiety occurred in babies by 25-32 weeks with stranger distress occurring 1 month later
In the 18 month follow up 87% had developed multiple attachments
What is a disadvantage of Schaffer’s and Emerson study with data collected?
Can’t be generalised as it only included a group of wc Glasgow families which isn’t culture representative
Why might shaffer and Emerson study lack temporal validity?
As childbearing practices have likely changes over the past 60 years
What is an advantage of shaffer and Emerson and the environment they used for the study?
As infants were observed in their own home they study had high level of mundane realism this suggests the behaviour recorded was valid
Whta is the role of the father in active play?
Fathers are seen to engage babies in active play activities more consistently than mothers fathers interactions emphasise stimulation and so it is thought their role encourages risk taking compared to more comforting style of mothers
What is the role of the father as a primary caregiver?
Mothers are likely to take part in the workplace there is evidence to suggest that if men. Take on the role of primary caregivers their interacitonal style changes to be more like mothers increasing their capacity for sensitive responisbness
What was fields observing primary caretaker mother and father study?
Observed primary caretaker mother,father and secondary caretaker father interacting with their 4 month old babies
Findings fathers in general focused more on game playing and less on holding additionally the primary caretaker father showed more sentiivity responsive behaviour
What was verissimo observed preschool children’s relationship with mothers study?
Observed relationships with their mother and fathers then later conducted a follow up assessment of social interactions when the child started nursery a strong attachment tot he father was the best predictor of the ability to make friends in school suggesting the role of the father in important in socialisation
Why is the research on the role of the father socially sensitive ?
Research argues the role of the mother cant be replaced by the father may lead to father led single families and families with two father feel like they cant give their all to their infantsn
What are the economic implications of the role of the father?
Could lead to legislation that ensures paternity and maternity leave while this may reduce the number of males in the workforce recuse economic activity and place pressure on businesses
What were the procedures of Lorenz imprinting study?
Goose eggs were randomly divided half were taken to be hatched by Lorenz using an incubator and the other half naturally by their biological mother
What were the findings of Lorenz imprinting study ?
The geese with hat he with Lorenz imprinted on him folllowing him rather than the goose mother
The geese that matched with the mother imprinted on the mother
Had a critical period of 32hours if they didn’t see a large moving object to imprint in the first few hours they lost the ability to imprint
What were the procedures of harlows contact comfort study?
Infant monkeys were removed from their bioligxal mothers and placed in cages with surrogate mothers one surrogate mother provided milk but not comfort as it was just a wire
The next mother provided comfort as it was a wire cloth but didn’t provide food time spent with the monkey was recorded as well as which surrogate the infant ran to when frightened by a mechanical monkey
What were the findings of harlows contact comfort study?
Infant monkeys spent most their time with the comfort providing mother only visiting the food mom when needed
The monkey retuned to the cloth mother when frightened monkeys without a cloth mother showed signs of stress related illness
Maternal deprivation caused permanent social disorders including difficulty in mating and raising offspring
What’s the cupboard love theory?
Babies love mothers because they feed them
Why is it bad that animals are used when compared to humans ?
The generalisation of animal behaviour to human psychology is problematic
Humans and animals have very different biology and humans have various social and cultural experiences that inform their behaviour
How have Lorenz findings of the critical period been influential ?
Bowlby argues there’s a similar critical period to humans 6-30 moths and if there’s isn’t an attachment it can result in permanent damage
However humans with care can help recover
What are the practical applications of animal studies?
Been applied to childcare e.g. after birth immediate physical contact between the mother and the babies is now encouraged
What are the ethical issues with using animals?
Harlow caused harm and stress to monkeys
What was dolland and millers theory of cupboard love?
Argues infants become attached to caregiver because they learn that their caregiver provides food
What is the attachment to mother through cupboard love?
The food is initially an unconditioned stimulus, instinctively proivdes pleasure an unconditioned response
As the mother is present every time the baby is fed the mother becomes associated with the pleasure of being fed she changes from being a neutral stimulus to a conditioned stimulus now in the presence of the mother the infant experiences a conditioned pleasure response
How can the attachment to the mother due to cupboard love theory be applied operant conditioning?
Positive reinforcement:b when a. Behaviour is made more likely when receiving a pleasurable stimulus in attachment when a parent feeds a crying baby the baby is more likely to repeat the crying behaviour to get food
Negative reinforcement: the parents feeding behaviour is negatively reinforced by the baby stopping its crying behaviour when fed
How does learning theory applied to attachment have face validity?
It makes intuitive sense that babies cry more when they learn crying gains them attention ultimately food
What can we say about learning theory when applied to human attachment behaviour ?
It is seen as environmentally reductionist as behaviourists argue that the complex interactions between caregivers and their infants are just the result of simplistic stimulus associations
What evidence is there to reject the cupboard love theory ?
Harlows monkey research shows that comfort is more important than food
What is bowlbys monotropic theory ?
An evolutionary explanation of attachment bowlby argues infants have an innate drive to from an especially strong attachment to their mother and stay in close proximity he argues that this drive is instinctual and its vital for their survival as their mother provides food and security
How do babies help develop the monotropic relationship?
Use signals called social releasers that attract the caregivers attention according to monotropic theory mothers are biologically programmed to instinctively find these behaviours cute or distressing
In what time period must a monotropic attachment form before it causes permanent damage?
First 30 months if not it will result in negative social, intellectual and emotional consequences
How does the monotropic attachment affect adult life?
Provides a blueprint for future relationships the internal working model guides how to conduct future relationships
Who has bowlbys work inspired?
Inspired research such as Mary ainsworth and research can be applied to childcare
What bias is bowlbys work criticised for?
Alpha bias as it exaggerates the gender differences
Bowlby argues the fathers role to provide resources while mothers look after babies
What are the behaviours ainsworth identified to indicate attachment strength?
Proximity to mother,safe base behaviour, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety,reunion response, sentive reponsiveness of mother to infant needs
What are the 3 attachment styles?
Insecure avoidant, secure, insecure resistance
What is insecure avoidant attachment and what type?
Type a
Infants keep a distance from their mother not using her as a secure base but exploring freely the infant displays low stranger anxiety if their mother leaves the room they have low separation anxiety
When mom returns theiyre indifferent mothers show little sensitive responsiveness
What is secure attachment and what type?
Type b
Infants use their mothers as a safe base show moderate level of stranger anxiety, show seperation anxiety, caregiver show sensitise responsiveness
What is insecure resistant attachment and what type?
Don’t explore the environment and are clingy seeking closeness to mum
Have high stranger and separation anxiety when mother returns they have mixed emiotns both crave and reject her attention mothers appear to be inconsistent with their sensitive responsiveness
What was ainsworth procedures?
106 infants and Mather pairs ppts in the original structured observations
Conducted in a controlled lab setting each stage lasted 3 mins
Two observers behind a one way mirror recorded infants response at each stage
The stages assessed were: infants proximity, willingness to explore, mother as secure base, stranger anxiety, seperation anxiety, reunion response, sensitive responsiveness of mother
What were the 8 stages of Mary ainsworth research?
Episode 1:observer introduces mother and baby to the experimental room and leaves
Episode 2:the baby explores freely the mother doesn’t interact
Episode 3:stranger enters firsts minute stranger silent second minute stranger talks to mother third minutia stranger approaches baby
Episode 4:first seperation episode stinger interacted with baby
Episode 5:first reunion episode
Episode 6:second seperation episode
Episode 7:continuation of second seperation
Episode 8: second reunion episode e
What were the findings of ainsworth experiment?
65% secure type b
34% insecure
22% insecure avoidant type a
12% insecure resistant type c
What is good about ainsworth doing the study in a lab?
Standardised procedures which allowed other researchers to replicate the study and compare results
How does McCarthy study supports ainsworth?
Studied 40 women assessed with strange situation as infants it was found with adults with the most long lasting and secure adult friendships were securely attached in infancy
Why is it a problem that strange situatio was developed in America?
It may be culture bound test so not valid when applied to other cultures
How does ainsworth study show demand characteristics?
The mothers know the aim so might show more sensitive reponisvenss
What were the procedures of van ijzendoorns study ?
Conducted a large scale meta analysis of 2000 infants in 32 studies from 8 countries each study classified the attachment types of infants and mothers using the strange situation
What were the findings of van ijzendoorns study?
General patterns: secure attachment was the most common type in all countries and generally insecure resistant was the least common type
Avoidant was more common in individualistic western cultures and reisistant in collectivist non western
Germany had the most insecure avoidant 35%
Japan had the most insecure resistant 27%
What is the problem which a small sample in van ijzendoorns ?
Many of the countries represented only had one study included such a small sample isn’t representative of the country’s population
How is van ijzendoorns study ethnocentric?
Using strange situation to assess attachments in non western countries may be an example of ethnocentrism
What is bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation ?
Argues if the child’s monotropic attachment is distrupted during the critical period such as through prolonged seperation from the mother this deprivation will result in negative and irreversible consequences affecting the infants social emotional and intellectual skills
Critical period is 2 and a half years but risk of up to 5 years
What are the consequences of deprivation?
Delinquency: due to distrupted social development behaviour is often outside acceptable norms such as petty crime
Affectionless psychopathy during to distrupted emotional development children are unable to show caring behaviour to others or empathy for other peoples feelings and have little guilt for their harmful actions
Low iq dur to distrupted intellectual development cognitive abilities are lower than peers
What was bowlbys 44 thieves study?
44 child thieves and a control group of 44 emotionally disturbed non thieves were interviewed to assess affectionaless psychopathy and parents were asked about maternal deprivation during the critical period
It was found 14 thieves matched the criteria for affectionless psychopathy compared to none of the control group 12 of the theives had experienced prolonged seperation compared to only two of the control group
How did bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation have an impact irl?
Positive changes to policies related to child welfare such as visiting time for mothers in hospitals, the ratio of carers at nursery school and the length of maternity leave
What proves bowlbys critical PERIOD theory is wrong?
The orphan studies suggest children have a sensitive not critical period rutter and goldfarb all showed that deprivation effects can be reversed
What does institutionalised mean?
When children are cared for by the state
What is deprivation vs privation?
As defined by bowlby deprivation isn’t receiving suitable emotional care from a primary attachment figure this can happen with frequent or extended absences of the primary caregiver
Privation is more severe it is the total lack of care so there is no ability to form an attachment bond
What were the procedures of Rutters orphan study?
The Romanian children were grouped into those adopted while under six months between 6 months and two years and those older than two years
A control group if British adoptees who hadn’t experienced privation were included in the study each group. Were assessed at the ages of 4,6,11,15
What are the findings of rutter?
At age 6: children adopted 6 months showed disinihbited attachment and overly friendly behaviour to strange adults. This was more common in those adopted after 2 years old
At age 11: over half the children who showed disinhibited attachment at age 6 still displayed this behaviour. Children adopted after 6 months also showed significant delayed physical, emtital and intellectual development
Children after 24 months had an average iq of 77 compared to those 102 adopted under 6m
What does rutters research suggest?
Suggest that adoption within the first 6 months is important as the rate of recovery depends of age at adoption and the effects of privation in institutions are severe and long lasting however many children even adopted after 2 years show recovery suggesting the critical period is the sensitive period
What are the practical applications of the Romanian orphan studies?
The research has changed policies around adoption and care in orphanages and other institutional settings
What is an issue with selective adoption in Romanian orphan studies?
The children weren’t randomly assigned for adoptions but were selected by the new parents in Romania it is possible this resulted in a bias with the more sociable children picked for adoption at a younger age
What was goldfarbs study?
Compared 15 children had been brought up in children homes until beyond 3 and another group who had been fostered at around 6 months at 12 years old he found that the early fostering led to significtnlyt higher levels of mental ability and social skills this suggests the adverse effects of institutionalisation.
What is the internal working model ?
According to Bowlby infants develop a schema based on their attachment to their primary caregiver this schema acts as a template for how relationships work
What is the continuity hypothesis?
Suggests an individuals future relationship will follow a pattern based on the IWM this pattern includes an inviduals childhood friendships adult partners and partnering relationship with their children
What do hazen and shaver argue about an adults relationship ?
Adult relationship type is a continuation of their infant attachment style and can be classified using ainsworth attachment types
What was hazan and shavers love quiz?
620 ppts responded to a newspaper love quiz questions included feelings on romance and categorised ppts adult relationship styles into secure, avoidant, and anxious
The questionnaire also assessed childhood attachment type it was found that 56% had secure adult relationships 25% avoidant, 19% anxious and there was a correlation between adult and child attachment types securely attached adults belibed love was long lasting reported a happiness in their relationships and tended not to get divorcced
What was verissimo preschool children’s study?
observed preschool children’s relationship with their mothers and fathers then later conducted a follow up assessment of social interactions when the child started nursery a strong attachment to the father was the best predictor of the ability to make friends in school suggesting an important role for fathers in socialisation
Why is there hard to be a correlation between early attachment and adulthood?
It’s impossible to establish a cause and effect relationship between early childhood attachment and later adult relationship styles there may be another variable such as poverty
