Attachment Flashcards
Define attachment
A strong long lasting emotional tie or bond between 2 people usually mother and infant
Define reciprocity
One person getting a response from the other person
E.g when baby cries the mother picks up baby
Define Interactional synchrony
Behaviour is synchronised when it is carried out at the same time.
E.g when mother smiles baby smiles
Name the four stages and time of attachment
1) Asocial stage (birth to 2 months)
2) indiscriminate ( 2-7 months)
3) specific (7-12 months)
4) multiple ( after 12 months)
Info about father role
Fathers have been said to be playing the minor role in parenting
Males biologically unsuitable to raise children as they lack oestrogen
In the past father would go work and mother would look after baby
Studies used for attachments with father
Field
Hardy
Grossman et al
Studies used for caregiver infant interactions in humans
Meltzoff and Moore
Tronick et al
Schaffer and Emerson
Animal studies
Lorenz
Harlow
What was main assumption behind the learning theory explanation of attachment
Children learn to become attached to caregiver because they give them food
What is classical conditioning
The care giver who feeds the infant becomes associated with pleasure through satisfying the main drive of hunger. This generalises into a feeling of security
What is operant conditioning
Behaviour which is reinforced will be repeated. Babies who cry are likely to be fed. Food reduces hunger and is therefore a primary reinforcer.
What has the learning theory found
Schaffer and Emerson- less than half of children in the research had attachment to people who would be feeding them most.
Harlow- physical contact rather than food is wit al for attachment in monkeys
What did bolwby discover?
Attachment is biological and instinctive.
Forming and attachment may give a newborn an advantage over a newborn that doesn’t form an attachment. Therefore the attached newborn is more likely to grow up and pass on its genetic make up
Define securely attached
Caregiver is present the infant explores the strange environment, plays happily with toys and uses the caregiver as secure base. The infant shows moderate distress when separated from the caregiver, goes to her for comfort. Distress calmed when mother enters back in.
Define insecurely attached avoidant
Explore freely but don’t search proximity. No reaction when mother leaves. No stranger or separation anxiety.
Insecure attached resistant
Seek greater proximity than others. Huge stranger and separation anxiety. Resist comfort when reunited with mother
Give data of how secure baby’s in America are
70% of USA babies are attached secure
20% insecure avoidant
10% insecure resistant
Evaluation of Ainsworth and Bell’s research using the strange situation
Easily replicated because of its highly controlled systematic procedures.
Situation is unfamiliar with the baby so they may act different.
Children who have been in day care may show insecure avoidant behaviour as they are use of to being alone.
Unethical as it causes distress and upset to both the infants and mother.
However if the child is showing extreme signs of distress then the procedure was stopped
Van IjZendoorn and Kroonberg cultural variations
Uk has highest secure attachment and lowest insecure resistant attachment.
Japan and Israel have the highest insecure resistant attachment.
Germany had the highest insecure avoidant
Evaluation for research into cultural variations in attachment
Most of the studies are conducted in America which means it is not representative of cultures.
The study was conducted by other researchers which means each study may not be carried out the same way which makes it difficult to compare the cultures and lack internal validity
