Attachment Flashcards
What is attachment?
A close two-way emotional bond between two individuals where each sees the other as essential for their emotional security. It takes a few months to develop.
What are the reasons for attachment?
- Proximity: People try to stay physically closer to those they are attached to. 2. Separation distress: People feel distressed when an attachment figure leaves their presence. 3. Secure-base behaviour: Individuals maintain regular contact with attachment figures even when independent.
What is reciprocity in the context of attachment?
Both the infant and caregiver respond to each other’s signals, eliciting responses from one another. It lays the foundation for attachments to build.
What is the alert phase in infant-caregiver interaction?
Babies have periodic active phases signaling readiness for interaction, with mothers responding to their baby’s alertness approximately 2/3 of the time.
What characterizes the active involvement phase?
Babies take an active role in interactions, with both babies and caregivers initiating and taking turns, often described as a ‘dance’.
What is interactional synchrony?
A coordinated way where caregiver and infant reflect each other’s actions and emotions, leading to more synchronized relationships associated with better quality attachments.
What did Meltzoff and Moore (1977) find regarding interactional synchrony?
They observed interactional synchrony as early as 2 weeks old, finding an association between adult expressions/gestures and infants’ responses.
What is the difference between interactional synchrony and reciprocity?
In interactional synchrony, responses are similar, while in reciprocity, responses can be different.
What does the Tronick (1975) still face experiment demonstrate?
It shows how a baby responds when their caregiver does not participate in the interactional dance.
What is a secure attachment believed to advantage an infant in?
A secure attachment is believed to lead to healthier, more functional relationships later in life.
What did Evans and Porter (2009) find regarding securely attached babies?
Babies judged to be securely attached tended to have the most reciprocal interactions and interactional synchrony.
What is a strength of caregiver-infant interaction studies?
Interactions are usually filmed in controlled laboratory settings, allowing for reliable data recording and analysis.
What is a limitation of interpreting a baby’s behavior?
Young babies lack coordination, making it difficult to determine the significance of small movements or subtle expressions.
What does Ruth Feldman (2012) argue about synchrony?
She points out that synchrony simply names observable patterns of behavior without explaining their developmental importance.
What counterpoint exists regarding the importance of early interactions?
Evidence from research, such as Isabella et al. (1989), suggests that early interactions are important for developing good quality attachments.
