attachment Flashcards
what is attachment
- the bond that an infant forms with their primary caregiver. it is characterised by proximity and feelings of being comforted and content
what are attachment styles
- the bond can take different forms
what are attachment behaviours
which attachment style a child has is examined by looking at their responses to different situations
why is attachment important
- babies are vulnerable
- large brain size - born before brain is fully developed
- need for intensive proximal care
- long childhood
- 12 years until puberty
what is the sexual maturity for gorillas
7-8 years
what is the sexual maturity for baboons
5-8 years
what is the sexual maturity for lemurs
20 months
what is the sexual maturity for humans
13-17 years
who is bowlby
- founder of attachment theory in 1950s
- contrast to psychoanalytical views
- influenced by empirical findings
what are some origins of attachment theory
- lorenz - imprinting and critical period
- harlow - wire vs cloth mother
what are the five phases of attachment
- first few months - orientating towards people indiscriminately
- 5-7 months - orientating and preferentially engaging with caregiver
- 7-9 months - going to caregiver and expressing distress when separated
- 2-3 years - goal-corrected partnership where child also accommodates caregivers needs
- 4 years - switch from physical proximity to the more abstract emotional closeness
what is an internal working model
- a cognitive prototype influencing perception of and our reactions to other relationships
- a blueprint
what evidence is there for lifelong significance of attachment
- a meta-analysis of 27 samples
- age 12 months to 21 years
- attachment style at 12 months does indeed predict attachment later in life but diminishes with age
what did mary ainsworth do
- longitudinal observations
- defined 3 attachment types
- strange situation
what is avoidant attachment
- not distressed when alone
- ignore on reunion
what is secure attachment
- may be distressed when separated
- actively seeks proximity
what is anxious attachment
- distressed being alone
- seeks proximity but then resists interaction
what is disorganised attachment
- no obvious pattern to the baby’s behaviour varies over time
what is the universality hypothesis
- when given an opportunity, most infants will become attached to at least one specific caregiver
what is the normativity hypothesis
- most infants are securely attached in contexts that are not inherently threatening to human health and survival
what is the sensitivity hypothesis
- attachment security depends on sensitive and prompt responses to the infants signals
what is the competence hypothesis
- secure attachment leads to positive child outcomes
reasons for cultural differences
- western middle class assumption that sign of healthy maturity is individual autonomy
- differences in socialisation goal
- wide variety in caregiving arrangements
