Attachment Flashcards
What are the types of caregiver-infant interactions?
- Interactional synchrony.
2. Reciprocity.
What is interactional synchrony?
- Mirroring = mother and infant imitate each other in a synchronised way.
- Carry out the same action ‘simultaneously’.
What is reciprocity?
- One person responds to the other = infant/mother respond in turn to each other’s signals.
Involves close attention to verbal signals and facial expressions.
What research into interactional synchrony is there?
- Meltzof + Moore = found this in babies as young as 2 weeks old.
- Isabella et al. = found high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother-infant attachments.
What research into reciprocity is there?
- Brazelton et al. = describes it as a ‘dance’ –> each person responds to each other’s moves.
How does this oppose the ‘traditional’ views of a child’s role?
- Traditional = baby takes a ‘passive’ role.
2. This suggests that babies take an ‘active’ role as both mother and infant initiate interaction.
What evaluation points are there for interactional synchrony and reciprocity?
:) Potential value for society.
:) Observations are usually well controlled.
:( Hard to observe infants.
:( Research is socially sensitive.
How has research into caregiver-infant interactions provided potential value in society?
- Crotwell et al. (2013) = found a 10-minute Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) improved interactional synchrony in 20 low-income mothers and their infants.
- Findings can lead to methods to improve attachment.
How is research into caregiver-infant interactions usually well controlled?
- Mother-infant interactions are usually filmed.
2. Babies don’t know they are being observed, so they don’t change their behaviour.
Why is it hard to observe infants?
- What’s being observed is merely movements –> cant determine what’s happening from the babies perspective.
- Feldman (2012) = says the 2 behaviours simply happen at the same time –> doesn’t tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity.
How is research into caregiver-infant interactions socially sensitive?
It suggests that children may be disadvantaged by particular caregiver rearing.
- e.g. Mothers returning to work soon after birth restrict opportunities for achieving interactional synchrony.
What did Schaffer and Emerson (1964) find about caregiver-infant attachments?
- Primary attachment figure = usually mother (around 7 months).
- Secondary attachment figure = father (by age of 18 months).
What did Grossmann (2002) find about the quality of attachment with the father?
Quality of attachment with the father was less important in the teen years than it was with the mother.
- Fathers may be less important in future emotional development.
What is the typical fathers’ role with the child?
Usually play, and this is represented by their attachment.
- Less to do with nurturing.
What did Field (1978) find about primary caregiver fathers?
They adopted the role of a typical mother (smiling, imitating, etc), this was different from the role of secondary caregiver fathers.
What is the ‘key’ to attachment relationships?
Not the gender, its the level of nurturing = both mothers and fathers can spend more time smiling, imitating and holding the baby, which builds attachment relationships.
What are the evaluation points for ‘the role of the father’?
:( Researchers are interested in different questions.
:( Evidence undermines the idea of fathers having distinct roles.
:( No clear answer about fathers and primary attachments.
:( Research has important economic implications.
How are researchers interested in different questions about the role of the father?
- Some want to know the role of fathers as secondary attachments, others as primary.
- Psychologists cant answer what the role of a father is.
What evidence undermines the idea of fathers having a distinct role?
- Grossman (2002) = fathers had an important role in children’s development as secondary attachments (play, stimulation).
- McCallum + Golombok (2004) = found children growing up in single/same-sex families don’t develop differently.
How does research fail to provide an answer as to why fathers aren’t primary attachment figures?
- Could be gender roles = women are expected to be nurturing.
- Could be hormones = female hormones (oestrogen) create higher levels of nurturing.
What economic implications has this research provided?
Women feel that they have to stay at home as research suggests they are vital for healthy emotional development.
What are Schaffer’s stages of attachment?
- Asocial stage (first few weeks).
- Indiscriminate stage (2-7 months).
- Specific attachment (around 7 months).
- Multiple attachments (by 1 year).
What is the asocial stage?
Similar behaviour towards inanimate objects and humans, however, they are happier in the presence of humans.
What is indiscriminate attachment?
- Preference for humans over objects.
- Recognise and prefer familiar adults.
- Don’t show stranger/separation anxiety.
- Attachment is same towards all.
What is specific attachment?
Stranger/separation anxiety when separated from primary attachment figure (the person who interacts and responds to them most - 65% the biological mother).
What are multiple attachments?
In Schaffer and Emerson’s study = found secondary attachments formed within a month of forming a primary attachment (29% of the time).
What study did Schaffer and Emerson do to support their theory of the stages of attachment?
Glasgow babies (1964).
How many babies were in Schaffer and Emerson’s study?
60 –> from mostly w/c families.
What was Schaffer and Emerson’s procedures?
Babies visited at home every month for 1 year, then at 18 months.
How was stranger/separation anxiety measured?
- Separation anxiety = by asking mothers about their babies behaviour in everyday situations (e.g. adult leaving room).
- Stranger anxiety = asking mothers questions about their child’s anxiety to unfamiliar adults.
What did Schaffer and Emerson find after 1 year?
- 50% showed separation anxiety between 25-32 weeks of age.
2. Specific (primary) attachment = those who responded to the right signals and most interactive (usually the mother).
What did Schaffer and Emerson find after 18 months?
Primary attachment figure =
- 65% was the mother.
- 3% was the father.
39% formed multiple attachments.
What are the evaluation points of Schaffer and Emerson’s study?
- High external validity.
- Study was longitudinal.
- How is multiple attachment assessed?
- Problem studying the asocial stage.
How does Schaffer and Emerson’s study have high external validity?
- Observations were in natural situations (unaffected by observers).
- Although behaviour was natural, mothers might not have reported everything.
How does Schaffer and Emerson’s study have high internal validity?
- Longitudinal = the same children were studied, so, there isn’t individual differences (CV) between participants.
How is there a problem with assessing multiple attachments?
Just because the baby gets distressed when the individual leaves the Rome, it doesn’t mean they are the primary attachment figure.
- Bowlby = said there may be playmates as well as attachment figures.
How is there a problem with studying the asocial stage?
Difficult to make judgements based on observed behaviour as babies are quite immobile at this time.
What are the 2 animal studies of attachment?
- Lorenz’ geese - imprinting (1952).
2. Harlow’s monkeys - importance of contact comfort (1958).
What was Lorenz’s procedures?
- Randomly divided 12 goose eggs.
- 6 saw their mother at first, 6 saw Lorenz (hatched in an incubator).
What was Lorenz’s findings?
- Control group = followed mother.
- Incubator group = followed Lorenz.
- Critical period = a few hours.
- Sexual imprinting = occurs from a template of desired characteristics in a mate.
What are the evaluation points of Lorenz’s study?
:( Hard to generalise findings from a bird to humans.
:) Research support.
Why cant Lorenz’s findings be generalised?
Can’t generalise findings from a bird to humans;
- e.g. geese are immobile straight away, babies are after 6-7 months.
What research support is there for Lorenz’s study?
Guiton (1966) = found chicks imprinted on yellow marigolds, and tried to mate with them. However, they learned to imprint with their own kind in some time.
- Shows imprinting isn’t long-lasting, like Lorenz believed.
How many monkeys were in Harlow’s study?
16.
What were the 2 conditions in Harlow’s study?
1) Received milk from ‘wire’ mother.
2) Received milk from ‘cloth’ mother.
- Milk production changed between each ‘mother’.
- Reactions of monkeys to frightening situations was observed.
What was Harlow’s findings?
- Both groups spent more time with ‘cloth’ mother, only go to ‘wire’ mother for food.
- When frightened, they went to ‘cloth’ mother.
What consequences did the monkeys suffer in the future?
- More aggressive.
- Less skill with mating.
- Even killing their own offspring.
What was the critical period for the monkeys?
90 days –> over wise attachment wouldn’t form.