Attachment Flashcards
Harlow’s Monkey Studies
monkeys raised alone showed extreme emotional disturbances
what helped the monkeys:
1) younger peers - NOT same age
2) contact/comfort mother - preferred over wire mother
strange situation type stuff - go to comfort mother
so sad :(
Attachment
close and enduring emotional bonds to parents or other primary caregivers
first proposed by Bowlby
Secure Base
refers to the idea that the presence of a trusted caregiver provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the child to explore the environment
increases survival
Internal Working Model of Attachment
mental representation of the self, of attachment figures, and of relationships in general
idea that you develop expectations about how people will treat you and whether you are deserving of love
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
measurement of attachment
student of Bowlby
2 keys factors:
1) the extent to which an infant is able to use the primary caregiver as a secure base
2) how the infant reacts to brief separations from, and reunions with, the caregiver
Strange Situation Classifications (4)
1) Secure
2) Insecure-Resistant
3) Insecure-Avoidant
4) Disorganized
Which attachment style was added at a later time?
Disorganized
Secure Attachment
easily comforted by mother, has a secure base
majority across cultures!
Parenting style: sensitive, response, not overly intrusive
Long-term - best outcomes (better grades, more friends, more prosocial)
Insecure-Resistant Attachment
clingy then resists comfort
stays close to mother
VERY distressed when she leaves
wriggles away from mother when she returns - as though they are mad at mom
Parenting style: inconsistent, often unresponsive, sometimes pick them up, sometimes let them cry, kid doesn’t know what to expect
Insecure-Avoidant Attachment
spend most time ignoring mom
don’t pay attention, may not even cry when left alone
but SAME physiologic response as resistant infant
learn to be self-sufficient
Parenting style: unresponsive OR intrusive, overstimulating, constantly in their face
Disorganized Attachment
new classification
confused, fearful, freezing
can’t easily classify
odd behaviour - may start to approach parent but then freezes
contradictory - fearful smile
worst outcomes
Parenting style: abusive
What is the most important factor that promotes a secure attachment style?
Sensitivity
caregiving behaviour that involves the expression of warmth and contingent responsiveness to children, such as when they require assistance or are in distress
responding promptly, appropriate for infant’s needs
increases secure attachment NO MATTER the child’s temperament
What situation is associated with the worst outcomes?
a) secure attachment with both parents
b) secure attachment with 1 parent
c) poor attachment with both parents
c) poor attachment with both parents
How is parental attachment measured?
Parental Attachment Interview
Parenting Attachment Categories (4)
1) Autonomous
2) Dismissing (avoidant)
3) Preoccupied (resistant)
4) Unresolved (disorganized)
Autonomous Parental Attachment
consistent
acknowledge that childhood wasn’t perfect, but have positive, loving relationship with parents
Dismissing (Avoidant) Parental Attachment
don’t recall, or dismiss as unimportant anything that could be negative
Preoccupied (Resistant) Parental Attachment
still caught up in childhood experiences
dwell on things, caught up in wrong of parents
Unresolved (Disorganized) Parental Attachment
answers don’t make sense
extreme good and bad
abused but talk about how much parents loved them
answers all over the place
Self-Concept/Identity
how you THINK about yourself
What is the 1st step in developing self-concept/identity?
Differentiating self from other
e.g. my legs are my own
When can children consistently pass the Rouge Test?
18 months
Descriptions of self in pre-school
physical attributes, abilities, social relationship
observable features
preferences and possessions
e.g. I have a bike, I have a brother, I like spaghetti
don’t compare self to others - have a high sense of self
overestimate abilities
Descriptions of self in elementary school
begin social comparison
notice that other kids do things better than them
drop in self-esteem
more realistic view of capabilities
More higher order - e.g., “I’m smart, good at sports”
more abstract than what preschoolers talk about
increasing importance of social relations
Descriptions of self in high school
Early adolescence - may feel conflict at opposing attributes, don’t understand why
Mid-adolescence - realize they can be different in different contexts
unify separate traits into higher-order descriptors
attitudes
personality traits
beliefs
Examples/concepts of adolescent egocentrism (2)
1) personal fable
2) imaginary audience
Personal fable
“nobody has ever experienced pain like I feel, my parents cannot possibly understand what its like”
Imaginary Audience
“everyone is looking at the pimple on my face”
According to Marsha, identity formation differs on 2 mains dimensions…
1) commitment
2) crisis
Marsha’s Identities (4)
1) Identity foreclosure
2) Identity diffusion
3) Moratorium
4) Achievement
Identity foreclosure
Commitment: HIGH
Crisis: LOW
Family: overly involved
Personality: high obedience, stereotypical thinking
passive acceptance
e.g. you’re going to be doctor, accept that they think they’re going to be a doctor, no questioning
Identity Diffusion
Commitment: LOW
Crisis: LOW
Family: laissez-faire, rejection, unavailable
Personality: mixed results, low levels of ego development, moral reasoning, cognitive complexity, poor cooperation
not actively in a crisis
high in teen years, then drops off
Identity Moratorium
Commitment: LOW
Crisis: HIGH
Family: ambivalent struggle with parents, back and forth, but parents realize that they’re trying to work through things
Personality: most anxious and fearful of success, but high level of ego development, moral reasoning, self-esteem
actively exploring roles
e.g. most university students
Identity Achievement
Commitment: HIGH
Crisis: HIGH
Family: encourage autonomy, differences within context of mutuality, let kids explore options
Personality: high levels of ego development, moral reasoning, self-certainty, self-esteem, performance under stress, intimacy
has experienced a crisis
has explored and come to own decision
more mature and motivated than other groups
Most common identity sequences (2)
diffusion → foreclosure → achievement
OR
diffusion → moratorium → foreclosure → achievement
Self-esteem
individual’s overall subjective evaluation of his or her worth and the feelings he or she has about that evaluation
how you FEEL about yourself
one of the most important factors of self-development**
