Attachment Flashcards
Define attachment.
The strong emotional bond between an infant and it’s primary caregiver.
Define infant / infancy.
The period of a child’s life before speech begins - usually around 1 - 2 years old.
What is reciprocity?
A non verbal communication technique used by infants.
Action of one (caregiver or infant) causes a response from the other. Response does not have to be the same as the original action. Happens after original action.
Frequency of infants actions allow caregiver to anticipate movements and behaviours and what the infant needs and respond appropriately.
What is interactional synchrony?
A type of non verbal communication.
An imitation of the caregivers action (can be emotions also) e.g. caregiver cries, infant cries).
Happens at same time and response similar to original action and it’s an imitation.
What 4 behaviours does an infant show when they are securely attached to their caregiver?
1) Joy on reunion
2) Separation anxiety
3) General orientation of behaviour towards caregiver.
3) Desire to have a close proximity with caregiver
What was the aim of Meltzoff and Moores study into interactional synchrony?
To understand interactional synchrony in infants.
What was the procedure of Meltzoff and Moores study?
Used infants that were 2-3 weeks old.
An adult model displayed one of four stimuli - 3 different facial expressions or a hand gesture where fingers moved in a sequence.
Dummy placed in infants mouth during initial display to prevent a response.
Removed after and infants response recorded on video.
Watched by independent observers (real time, slow motion or frame by frame). Scored twice, had to note instances of head or tongue movements.
Found inter observer reliability of +0.94.
Findings of Meltzoff and Moores study?
Infants as young as 2 / 3 weeks old displayed interactional synchrony. They imitated specific hand or facial gestures.
Supporting evidence (A03) for Meltzoff and Moore, study on interactional synchrony?
Meltzoff and Moore demonstrated the same synchrony with infants only 3 days old. As this behaviour was being displayed in infants so you, it suggests imitation behaviour is innate and not learned.
Supporting evidence (A03) for Meltzoff and Moores study in interactional synchrony?
HINT: is imitation intentional?
Some suggest imitation isn’t intentional but there is evidence that there is.
2 psychologists conducted a study where 2 month old infants interacted via a video monitor with their mother in real time (con 1). In the next part the video monitor played a tape of the mother so she was not responding to the infants facial and bodily gestures. These infants became distressed as they tried to attract their mothers interest but failed.
Shows infant is actively trying to get response instead of displaying one that has been rewarded. Shows infant is an active and intentional partner.
Supporting evidence for Meltzoff and Moores study into interactional synchrony?
HINT: individual differences?
There are individual differences in IS.
More strongly attached infant caregiver pairs show greater IS.
Infants who demonstrate a lot of imitation from birth have better relationships at 3 months.
Suggests relationship between synchrony and strength of attachment - has important implications for parenting.
Criticism of Meltzoff and Moores study into IS?
HINT: what are the problems with testing infant behaviour?
Issues with validity.
Infants mouths are in fairly constant motion and the expressions which were tested occur frequently (tongue sticking out, yawning etc).
So difficult to distinguish between general activity and imitated behaviours.
To overcome this M&M asked independent observers to judge the infants behaviour from the video. The observers had no idea what behaviours were being imitated and still found inter observer reliability of 0.92 - increasing validity of data.
Criticism of Meltzoff and Moores study into IS?
HINT: replicate?
Other studies have dailies to relocate the findings of M&MS original study.
M&M said that the research failed because it was less carefully controlled.
What was the aim of Schaffer and Emersons study into the development of attachment?
To understand the development of attachments.
What was the procedure of Schaffer and Emersons study?
60 infants from working class homes in Glasgow, the infants ranged from 5/23 weeks and were studied till age 1.
Mothers visited every 4 weeks, mothers had to report infants response to 7 everyday situations e.g. being left in a room alone.
Had to describe intensity of any protest on a four point scale.
Mother asked to state who protest was directed at.
Infants respond to interviewer measured at each visit to assess stranger anxiety.
Describe stage 1 in the findings of attachment.
What is the stage called?
Indiscriminate attachment.
Birth to 2 months old infants produce similar response to all objects animate or inanimate. Towards the end they show a greater preference for social stimuli such as a smiling face and tend to be more content when they’re with people.
Reciprocity and IS are important in establishing infants relationships with others at this point.
Describe stage 2 of the stages of attachment.
What’s the stage called?
The beginnings of attachment.
Around the age of 4 months infants become more social. Prefer human company to inanimate objects. Can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar faces but still easily comforted by anyone. Display general sociability
Describe stage 3 of the findings of attachment.
What’s it called?
Discriminate attachment.
Seven months old infants said to have formed specific attachment to one person. They show joy on reunion with this person, are easily comforted by them and show separation anxiety with them. They also begin to show stranger anxiety.
Here S&E found the primary attachments were formed with the person who was quick, sensitive and responsive to the infants needs, not necessarily who they spend the most time with.
Stage 3, findings of attachment.
What percentage of children made the first specific attachment to only their mother?
65%
What percentage of children made the first specific attachment to only their father?
3%
What percentage of children made their mothers the first joint object of attachment?
30%
What percentage of children made their father the first joint object of attachment?
27%
Describe stage 4.
What’s it called?
Multiple attachments.
After first attachment formed infants forms multiple attachments depending on how many consistent relationships each of them has.
These are called secondary attachments and the infant displays separation anxiety with these also.
1 month of becoming attached : 29% had MA.
6 months : 78%.
1 year : all of them. 1/3 had formed 5 or 6.
A03 of S&E development of attachment.
Criticism on unreliable data?
Based on mothers reports. Some mothers may have been less sensitive to their infants protests and less likely to report them. Others may give bis reports due to social desirability. Reduces internal validity.