Attachment✅ Flashcards
Reciprocity
The interaction of similar behaviour patterns between carer and infant
This helps create the attachment between them as they produce similar responses e.g caregiver making a facial expression and the infant mimicking it
Attachment
A two way enduring emotional tie to a specific other person
Interactional synchrony
The coordinated rhythmic exchanges between carer and infants
The infants move their bodies in tune with the care giver e.g both move their heads at same time as if they are in sync making it look like they are the same person
Asocial stage 0-6 weeks
Babies show similar responses to objects and people
Don’t prefer specific others
Look at faces and eyes
Indiscriminate stage 6 weeks-6months
Babies become more sociable. Can tell apart and prefer to be in human company. Can be easily comforted by anyone. Don’t show fear to strangers
Specific attachments- after 7month
Baby begins to show separation anxiety. Shows fear of strangers
Multiple attachments 10/11 month+
Multiple attachments soon follow after the first attachment. Show attachment behaviours towards several different people such as siblings grandparents and childminders
Bowlbys 5 most important key principles
Monotropy Sensitive period Social releasers Internal working model Continuity hypothesis
Strengths of bowlbys theory
Two studies
Harlows monkeys- agrees there’s a internal working model by showing monkeys in isolation killed their kids
Shaver and hazen- internal working model having a life long effect
Weaknesses of bowlbys theory
Underestimates the role of the father
His view of critical period has been criticised by the Czech twins
May be culture bound (ethnocentric)
Separation anxiety
The distress shower by an infant when separated from their caregiver
Stranger anxiety
Distress shown by an infant when approached or picked up by someone unfamiliar
Reunion behaviour
When an attachment figure enters back in the room the baby will show a different behaviour e.g stop crying
Monotropy
The idea that one relationship that an infant has with their primary attachment has a special significance in emotional development
Internal working model
Primary attachment provides the child with an internal working model, it’s a mental model or a template for their future relationships
Critical period
A determined period of time in which a child develops an attachment, after this time it will be very difficult to make a primary attachment. Bowlby argues after 2 and a half there’s likely to be serious developmental consequences later in life with no attachment
Maternal deprivation
To be deprived is losing something. So this is the loss of emotional care that’s normally provided by a primary care giver
Social releasers
Characteristics that trigger care giving such as smiling or crying
Continuity hypothesis
The idea there’s a link between early attachments and later emotional behaviour
If a child doesn’t form attachment within the critical period likely to have long term effects
Those with secure attachments will continue to be socially and emotionally stable
Key study that identified stages of attachment
Schaffer and Emerson
Advantages of the stages of attachment study
Tested in their own homes so they were comfortable in their own environment preventing them from distress
Longitudinal study so it lasted over a long period of time meant data’s more valid
Disadvantages of stages of attachment study
The 60 baby’s may not all have others to attach with some could be only children or not have any grandparents
Can’t generalise the study as if was only done in Glasgow so culture bias
Who did research into infant- caregiver interactions
Meltzoff and Moore
Meltzoff and Moore’s procedure
In the controlled observation they recorded the reactions and watched the children in real time slow motion and frame by frame. The videos were then judged by independent observers who had no knowledge of what the infant had seen they had to note all findings of the infants behaviour. Dummies were used to see if it would controlled the child and prevented the babies from reacting