attachment and the self Flashcards
why is attachment necessary in humans? (3)
- Evolutionary context – humans are born less than fully formed compared to other species – therefore we are vulnerable compared to other animals
- Our skull isn’t fully formed, and we are dependent on others for food, safety, comfort, emotional regulation and learning skills – other baby animals are more independent e.g baby giraffes can feed themselves from day one
- means that humans must maintain proximity to the source of care, human mothers have to put more investment into offspring and effective strategies to elicit care are needed for survival
how does a child’s sense of self develop over childhood according to research? (5)
- 8 months - begins to become distinct
- 18-20 months - recognise their reflection according to Lewis and Brooks-Gunn research
- 30 months - recognise photograoh
- 3y/o - begin to show shame/embarrassment (self-awareness and consequences of their actions in a social context
- 3-4 y/o - oberseve themselves in terms of physical traits and abilities (often in terms of social comparison e.g ‘Lisa is better at maths than me, but I’m a faster runner’)
XX
female chromosome
XY
male chromosome
X
female chromosome but with atypical growth pattern
XXX
female chromsome (typical female phenotype)
XXY
male chromosome but with lower testosterone than XY
XYY
male chromsome (typical male phenotype)
how does gender identity/gender identity behaviour develop over childhood according to research? (4)
- first year = infants’ perceptual abilities allow them to distinguish between male and female using gender cues – e.g higher vocal pitch indicates a female
- second year = children begin forming gender-related expectations
- 2nd-3rd bday = children come to know which gender group they belong to.
- by 3 = use gender terms like ‘boy’ in their speech
Outline how Lorenz studied attachment: (4)
- eggs randomly divided
- half were hatched with mother present (natural environment)
- half hatched in an incubator with Lorenz present
- behaviour of all goslings recorded
Outline how Harlow studied attachment: (6)
- in a controlled environment, infant monkeys were reared with two mother surrogates
- plain wire mother which dispensed food
- cloth covered mother with no food
- time spent with each mother recorded
- details of fear conditions
- long-term effects recorded - sociability and mating affected
Lorenz imprinting study: findings and conclusion (3)
- incubator group followed Lorenz
- control group followed mother goose
- Lorenz identified critical period where imprinting must happen or chick will never attach to a mother figure
Harlow imprinting study: findings and conclusion (4)
- baby monkey preferred soft mum than wire one - regardless of which dispensed food
- suggests contact and comfort more important than food when it came to attachment behaviour
- monkeys sought comfort from soft mum when scared
- long-term effects - sociability and mating affected
What is Ainsworth’s ‘The Strange Situation’?
The Strange Situation is a controlled observation used a method to assess the quality of a child’s attachment to a caregiver
The Strange Situation: 5 categories used to judge attachment quality
- proximity-seeking - secure will stay close
- secure-base behaviour - secure will explore - caregiver point of safety
- stranger anxiety - shown by secure
- separation anxiety - shown by secure
- reunion behaviour - secure will be enthusiastic
The Strange Situation: 7 episodes
Each ep lasted 3 minutes:
- child encouraged to explore by CG
- stranger enters + talks to CG
- CG leaves
- CG returns, stranger leaves
- CG leaves - baby alone
- stranger returns
- caregiver returns
The Strange Situation: Findings (3)
- Secure-attachment 70% of British toddlers
- Insecure-avoidant 15%
- Insecure- resistant 15%
Insecure-avoidant attachment
SEPARATION ANXIETY: No sign of distress when the the mother leaves
ST ANXIETY: The infant is okay with the stranger and plays normally when the stranger is present
REUNION BEHAVIOUR: The Infant shows little interest when the mother returns
OTHER: The mother and stranger are able to comfort the infant equally well
Insecure-resistant attachment
SEP ANXIETY: Intense distress when the mother leaves
ST ANXIETY: The infant avoids the stranger - shows fear of the stranger
REUNION BE: The infant approaches the mother, but resists contact, may even push her away
OTHER: cries more and explores less than the other two types
secure attachment
SEP ANXIETY: Distressed when mother leaves
ST ANXIETY: Avoidant of stranger when alone, but friendly when the mother is present
REUNION: Positive and happy when mother returns
OTHER: Uses the mother as a safe base to explore their environment
How does deprivation during the critical period impact emotional development?
Extended deprivation of maternal care during critical period may lead to affectionless psychopathy - prevents normal relationship + linked to criminality
What study did Bowbly carry to test the connection between criminality and maternal deprivation?
44 Thieves Study
Bowlby’s 44 thieves study: Procedure (4)
Procedure
1. Sample of 44 teenagers accused of stealing (‘thieves’)
2. Families interviewed to establish any prolonged separation from mothers
4. ‘Thieves’ interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy - signs: lack of affection, guilt, sympathy
Bowlby’s 44 thieves study: Findings and Conclusions
Findings:
- 14 described as affectionless psychopaths - 12/14 had experienced prolonged separation from mothers in first 2 years of their lives
- Only 5/30 left in sample had experienced separations - suggests early maternal deprivation linked to affectionless psychopathy
what are the main limitations of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation as a means to measure attachment?
- Are categories discrete or continuous? Are they more fluid than they seem?
- Lacks ecological validity
- Westernised view – lacks generalisability - Keller suggests that diversity should be takes account as well cultural beliefs and practices
what does Bowlby’s attachment theory suggest? (2)
- children are biologically predisposed to develop attachment with caregivers as a means of survival
- Bowlby proposed that attachment is development over 4 phases to a secure base – an attachment figure’s presence that provides an infant with a sense of security which allows the infant to explore the environment
what are the 4 phases of attachment according to Bowlby’s theory of attachment?
preattachment phase
attachment in the making
clear cut attachment
reciprocal relationships
bowlby’s stages of attachment: what is the ‘preattachment phase’? (3)
- BIRTH-6 WEEKS (1)
- infant produces innate signals that bring others to them and comforted by the interaction that follows
- contact is important at this point
bowlby’s stages of attachment: what is the ‘attachment in the making’ phase? (2)
- 6 WEEKS – 8 MONTHS (2)
- infants preferentially prefer other people, social cues to encourage care from primary caregiver
bowlby’s stages of attachment: what is the ‘clear cut attachment’ phase? (2)
- 8 MONTHS-2 YEARS (3)
- infant actively seeks contact with caregiver and shows stranger/separation anxiety
bowlby’s stages of attachment: what is the ‘reciprocal attachment’ phase? (2)
- 1-2 years onwards (4)
- child adopts an active role in working partnerships with their caregivers
what is a disorganised attachment style? (3)
- Main and Solomon 1990
- no consistent way of coping with stress like other attachment categories
- attachment behaviour is confused and contradictory
how does gender sterotyping develop over childhood according to research? (1)
- between 3-7 = children enforce gender segregation and spend more time with same-sex peers
what happens to children who don’t develop normal gender stereotyping behaviour according to research?
- if a child violates gender norms/continue to play with opposite sex children are likely to be socially rejected by other children
what are the main influences of gender differences according to research? (4)
evolution
hormones
structural differences in the brain
SLT
what is the main psychological debate when it comes to gender social identity?
is gender social identity a biological or social consequence?
who does SLT influence gender differences?
- SLT – parents’ expectations and emphasis on gender-related behaviours influence their children
- E.g gendered toys or use of gender essentialist statements
how is evolution suggested to influence gender differences? (2)
- genetic predisposition towards gender differences in behaviour e.g women tending to build strong social alliances with other women could have insured assistance with childcare, benefiting their offspring and survival
- not confirmed by research
how are hormones suggested to influence gender differences? (2)
- androgens (occur more in males and affect physical development and functioning) - associted with more aggressive play in boys
- girls with CAH exhibit more ‘boyish’ and aggressive behaviour
how is the brain’s structure suggested to influence gender differences? (2)
- small neurological differences - but the structures are very similar meaning it’s unclear whether sex differences in the adult brain structure are due to genetic predisposition or environmental differences
