Attachment Flashcards
Attachment
A two-way emotional bond between two people
Reciprocity
Responding to the action of another with a similar
action
interactional synchrony
When two people interact they tend to mirror what the other is doing
Brazelton et al
Described interaction as a ‘dance’
Each partner responds to each other’s moves
Meltzoff and Moore
Observed beginnings of interactional synchrony in infants as young as two weeks old
Meltzoff and Moore
wanted to find out whether infants imitate facial expressions and hand gestures
adult model displayed 1/3 gestures/facial expressions
dummy placed in mouth to prevent response
dummy removed - child’s response filmed
found an association between the infants behaviour and that of the adult model
because the were imitating they intended to do it
therefore, behavioural response must be innate
Murray and Trevarthen
wanted to find out if imitating behaviours are innate rather than learnt
2 month olds 1st interacted via a video monitor with their mother in real time
then played a tape of the mother so that the images was not responding to the infant
acute distress from child - tried to get mother’s response but couldn’t so turned away
shows the infant is an active and intentional partner in the mother-infant interaction
Shaffer’s stages of Attachment
studied 60 infants and mothers from Glasgow
Asocial stage
0-6 weeks
similar responses produced to people suggesting attachment can be made to anyone
however, rapidly learn to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar people by smell and voice
Indiscriminate Attachment
6 weeks - 7 months become more social can tell people apart don't show fear of strangers can be comforted by anyone
Specific Attachment
7 months -
child primarily attached to main caregiver
babies begin to show separation anxiety and fear of strangers
Multiple Attachments
10/11 months -
follow soon after 1st attachment is made to people such as siblings and grandparents
Role of the father
less likely to be primary caregivers
have an important secondary role
more playful and physically active relationship with their caregiver
Heerman et al
found men are less sensitive to infant cues
Frodi et al
Found no difference between mothers and fathers
Imprinting
an innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother which takes place during a specific time in development, if it doesn’t happen at this time id probably will not happen
Critical period
Imprinting is restricted to a very definite period very early in life
in no moving object in critical period then no imprinting
Lorenz
interested in attachment between animals for survival
took a group of eggs and split them
1/2 with natural 1/2 with incubator
when hatched - ones in incubator saw Lorenz 1st
they started to follow him
imprinting for life - irreversible
Harlow
to see if mother love is based on the feeding bond or comfort
8 monkeys studied for 165 days
4 = milk bottle on cloth covered mother
4 = milk bottle on wire mother
all 8 monkeys spent most time with cloth-covered mother
those who fed from wire only spent short time getting milk
when frightened they clung to the cloth-covered also kept a foot on for reassurance
infants do not develop an attachment to the person who feed them but tot the person offering contact comfort
Learning Theory
Behaviour is learned
babies are born as ‘blank slates’
person they become is a produce of the experience they have
behaviour is learnt through classical or operant conditioning
Monotropic
one primary attachment figure
- infants have an innate drive to become attached
- takes place during critical period
Ainsworth Procedure
see how infants, 9-18 months, behave under conditions of mild stress and novelty
8 episodes of 3 minutes
every 15 seconds 5 different behaviours are rated as happening or not and scored on an intensity level of 1-7
behaviours tested; separation anxiety, reunion behaviour and stranger anxiety
Ainsworth Findings
Sxploratory behaviours declined in all infants from episode 2, whereas amount of crying increased 3 main patterns of behaviour secure (B) resistant (C) avoidant (A)
Secure attachment
Infants use caregivers as a base to explore their environments
Not likely to cry if caregiver leaves them
Show mild stress when left with a stranger
When feeling anxious they’re more easily soothed by caregiver
Secure attachment (B)
Infants use caregivers as a base to explore their environments
Not likely to cry if caregiver leaves them
Show mild stress when left with a stranger
When feeling anxious they’re more easily soothed by caregiver
Insecure Attachment (A)
infants are happy to explore environment with or without caregiver
Show little response to separation
Show little/no social interactions and intimacy with others
Insecure Resistant (C)
Infants seek and resist social interactions with others
High level s of separation anxiety and stranger anxiety
when reunited with caregiver infant shows conflicting behaviours and resit being picked up
Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg
look at proportion of type ABC attachment across a range of cultures
meta analysis - 32 studies, 15 in USA, 8 countries
Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg findings
differences between cultures and within cultures
all countries - secure attachment = most common (75% in Britain - 50% in China) Insecure resistant (3% in Britain) Insecure- avoidant most common in Germany least common in japan
Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg conclusion
variations between results of studies within the same countries actually 150% greater than between countries
Simonella
see whether the proportions of babies of different attachment types still matched those found in previous studies
assessed 76 12-month olds using strange situation
Simonella Findings
50% were secure
36% insecure- avoidant
lower rate of secure - suggested because increasing amount of mothers of young children work long hours and use professional childcare
Simonella Conclusion
Cultureal changes can make a dramatic difference of pattersn of secure and insecure attachemtn
Simonella Conclusion
Cultural changes can make a dramatic difference of patterns of secure and insecure attachment
Jin et al
to compare the proportions of attachment types in Korea to other studies
used strange situation to assess 87 children
Jin et al Findings
overall proportions of insecure and secure babies were similar to most countries.
however, more of those classified as insecurely attached were resistant and only 1 was avoidant
Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
prolonged emotional deprivation would have long-term consequences on emotional development
emphasised maternal care and believed infants and children need ‘warm, intimate and continuous relationship with a mother’ for normal mental health
only have an effect if takes place during critical period
potential development can be avoided if suitable emotional care in provided by a mother-substitute
Bowlby’s 44 thieves aim
too see if there is a connection between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation
Bowlby’s 44 thieves procedure
case histories of 88 children from the child guidance clinic
44 of these had been caught steeling
44 = control group
44 thieves interviewed to look for sings of affectionless psychopathy
number of prolonged maternal separation in both group was assessed
Bowlby’s 44 thieves Findings
14/44 = affectionless psychopaths
12 experienced frequent and prolonged early separation
control group = 2 experienced prolong separation
Rutter and Sonuga Barke aim
to look at the long-term effects of institutionalisation
to see effects on physical, cognitive and social development
Rutter and Sonuga Barke procedure
165 Romanian children who spent eatery lives in Romanian institutions
111 adopted before 2
54 before 4
tested at regular intervals
compared to control group of 52 British children adopted in UK before 6 months
Rutter and Sonuga Barke Findings
at time of adoption = Romanian adoptees read worse on everything at 4 some had caught up with British control group
at 11 difference of recovery related to age of adoption
before 6 mean IQ = 102
Between 6months - 2yrs mean IQ =86
after 2 years mean IQ = 77
Rutter and Sonuga Barke conclusion
Long term consequences may be less severe than one thought if infants have opportunity to form attachments
however, if they don’t form attachment then consequences will be severe
Zeanah et al aim
Long-term effects of institutionalisation on attachment
Zeanah e al procedure
compared 135 Romanian children who had septn average of 90% of lives in an institution with control Romanian children who were never in an orphanage
age 12-31 months
assessed with strange situation
Zeanah et al findings
control group - 74% securely attached (20% disinhibited attachment) Intuitional group - 65% disorganised attachment (44% disinhibited attachment)
Zeanah et al
being in an institution affected their attachment
more showed disinhibited attachment
Effects of Institutionalisation
Physical underdevelopment
Intellectual under functioning
Disinhibited attachment
poor parenting
Hazan and Shaver aim
Love Quiz
to test internal working model
Hazan and Shaver Procedure
placed a ‘love quiz’ in the rocky mountain news
quiz asked Q’s about current attachment figures and about attachment history to identify current and childhood attachment types
Hazan and Shaver findings
56% secure 25% avoidant 19% resistant - similar to infancy positive correlation between attachment type and love experiences
