attachment Flashcards
attachment
an emotional bond between two people that endures over time. a two-way process leading to behaviours such as clinging and proximity-seeking.
caregiver
any person who provides care for a child such as a parent, grandparent, sibling, child-minder
interactional synchrony
when interacting with each other people tend to mirror each other’s facial body movements, emotions as well as behaviours can be imitated
reciprocity
where the actions of one partner elicit a response from the other partner. the response are not necessarily similar, a sin interactional synchrony
stranger anxiety
the distress shown by an infant when approached or held by someone who is unfamiliar
contact comfort
physical contact with a caregiver that can provide physical and emotional comfort
imprinting
an innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother which takes place during a specific time in development, probably the first few hours after being born/hatching
classical conditioning
learning through association. a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus, eventually becomes a conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response
learning theory
A group of explanations which explain behaviour in terms of learning rather that inborn tendencies or higher order thinking
Operant Conditioning
Learning through reinforcement or punishment. if behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence, then that behaviour is more likely to occur again in the future
Continuity Hypothesis
emotionally secure infants go on to be emotionally secure, trusting and confident adults
Critical period
biologically determined period during which certain characteristics develop. outside this time window such development will not be possible
Internal Working Model
mental model of the world which enables individuals to predict and control their environment. a person’s expectations about relationships
Monotropy
the relationship the infant has with his/her primary attachment figure is of special significance in emotional development
social releaser
social behaviour or characteristic , such as smiling, that elicits caregiving and leads to attachment
insecure avoidant
attachment type which describes children who tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy with others
insecure-resistant
attachment type which describes infants who both seek and reject intimacy and social interaction
secure attachment
a strong and contended attachment developing sensitive responding to the infant’s needs. infants are comfortable with social interaction and intimacy
strange situation
controlled observation of willingness to explore, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and reunion behaviour. it is designed to test attachment security
cultural variations
the way that different groups of people vary in terms of their social practices, and the effect these practices have on the development and behaviour
deprivation
the loss of emotional care that is normally provided by a primary caregiver
institutionalisation
the effect of institutional care, especially how time spent in an institution such as an orphanage can affect the development of children. possible effects e.g. mental and physical underdevelopment, which could be irreversible
