Attachment Flashcards
What is reciprocity in the context of caregiver-infant interactions?
Reciprocity is ‘turn-taking’ where each person responds to the other and elicits a response back.
How does reciprocity manifest between a caregiver and an infant?
It can be the same response (e.g. mum waves, child waves back) or a different response (e.g. playing peekaboo).
What did Brazelton et al (1975) compare reciprocity to?
Brazelton et al compared reciprocity to a dance where each partner responds to the other’s move.
What is interactional synchrony?
Interactional Synchrony is ‘mirroring’ where mother and infant reflect each other’s actions and emotions in a coordinated way.
Why is interactional synchrony important?
It is important for mother-infant attachment.
What did Isabella et al (1989) find regarding interactional synchrony?
Higher levels of synchrony were associated with better quality attachment.
What is a strength of research into caregiver-infant interactions regarding ecological validity?
Babies do not know they are being observed, leading to natural and spontaneous behavior.
What benefits are associated with Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony according to research?
They are important for the development of empathy, language, and moral understanding.
What is a weakness of research into caregiver-infant interactions related to interpretation?
Interpretations of behavior are subjective and can lack internal validity.
What example illustrates the subjective interpretation issue in caregiver-infant interaction studies?
The meaning of infant behaviors such as hand movements or expressions is interpreted by researchers.
What does the research into mother-infant interactions being ‘socially sensitive’ imply?
It could suggest that limited practice of interactional synchrony leads to poor attachment, impacting maternal choices.
What caution do researchers take regarding conclusions from caregiver-infant interaction studies?
Researchers are careful not to imply that people should make particular lifestyle choices.
What was the aim of Schaffer (1964)?
To investigate the formation of early attachments including:
* The age at which they developed
* Their emotional intensity
* To whom the child attached
Schaffer aimed to understand how attachment behaviors evolve in early childhood.
How many babies participated in Schaffer’s study?
60 babies from Glasgow
The study focused on a specific population to explore attachment behavior.
What method was used to measure separation anxiety in Schaffer’s study?
Mothers were asked questions about how the baby responded during everyday separations
This included scenarios such as when the mother leaves the room.
At what age did 50% of babies show signs of separation anxiety towards a particular adult?
Around 7 months old
This marks the onset of specific attachment.
What is meant by ‘specific attachment’?
Attachment towards a particular adult, usually the mother
This is characterized by signs of separation anxiety.
What percentage of babies had specific attachments by 10 months old?
80%
This shows a significant increase in attachment behavior as children age.
What is a strength of Schaffer’s study regarding ecological validity?
Participants likely behaved naturally during observations
Most observations were made in ordinary activities by parents.
Why is Schaffer’s study considered to have good internal validity?
It was a longitudinal study that followed the same children over time
This design reduces participant variable effects.
What is a weakness of how multiple attachment is assessed in Schaffer’s work?
Distress when a playmate leaves does not indicate a true attachment figure
This could lead to misinterpretation of attachment behaviors.
What was Schaffer’s description of the first few weeks of attachment development?
Asocial
Other research suggests significant interactions occur during this time.
What did Isabella et al (1989) demonstrate regarding early interactions?
The importance of Interactional Synchrony
This highlights that young babies may be more social than previously thought.
What cultural differences affect the timing of multiple attachments according to Schaffer?
Collectivist cultures may develop multiple attachments from the start
Research by Van Ijzendoorn (1993) supports this view.
True or False: Schaffer suggests that babies form an attachment to a single main carer before developing multiple attachments.
True
This view is challenged by findings from collectivist cultures.
Asocial Attachment
Birth - 2 months, Similar responses to objects & people. Preference for faces/eyes.
Indiscriminate attachment
2 months - 7 months, Preference for human company. Ability to distinguish between people but comforted by anyone
Specific attachment
Around 7 months, Infants show a preference for one caregiver, displaying separation and stranger anxiety. The baby looks to that person for security, comfort and protection.
Multiple attachment
Approximately 1 month after forming a specific attachment, Attachment behaviours are displayed towards several different, familiar people eg. siblings, grandparents etc
What is the primary focus of most research into attachment?
The mother-child relationship
This focus highlights the importance of the mother’s role in early attachment formation.
What did Shaffer (1964) find regarding the timing of attachments?
Babies formed their first attachment with the mother at about 7 months, with secondary attachments forming within the next month
By 18 months, 75% of children had formed an attachment to their father, indicated by separation distress.
According to Shaffer (1964), how are the roles of the mother and father characterized?
The mother is the primary attachment figure, and the father is a secondary attachment figure
This suggests that the attachment to the mother is likely more important in the child’s development.
What did Grossman (2002) conclude about the mother-infant and father-infant attachment?
Mother-infant attachment is more important than father-infant attachment
However, fathers’ play quality with infants was related to later attachment quality.
What unique role do fathers play in attachment according to Grossman (2002)?
Fathers have a different role related to play and stimulation rather than nurturing
This indicates that fathers contribute to attachment through interactive play.
What did Field (1978) find about the behaviors of primary care-giver fathers?
Primary care-giver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding the baby than secondary care-giver fathers
This suggests that fathers can also be nurturing caregivers.
Fill in the blank: According to the research, the key to attachment is the level of _______ not the gender of the parent.
responsiveness
What is a strength of research into the role of the father?
It has important economic implications
This research can provide justification for women considering whether to return to work.
What is a weakness of research into the role of the father?
It has produced confusing conclusions due to different research focuses
Different studies may explore the father as a secondary or primary care-giver, leading to varied findings.
How might research into the role of the father be misused?
It can undermine the importance of contact with the father
Some studies suggest children from single-parent families develop similarly to those from two-parent families.
What explanatory limitations exist in research on the role of the father?
It fails to explain why fathers are less likely to act in a nurturing way
This could be due to traditional gender roles or biological predispositions.
What bias may affect the validity of research findings on the role of the father?
Social biases may lead to observer bias
Researchers’ stereotypes about gender roles may influence their observations.
