Attachment Booklet 2: Caregiver-Infant interactions in humans

Question 1

We can recognise an attachment when people display the following behaviours…

Answer 1

-Proximity
-Separation distress
-Secure base behaviour

Question 2

What is proximity, as an attachment behaviour?

Answer 2

When the infants try to stay physically close to those whom they are attached

Question 3

What is separation distress, as an attachment behaviour?

Answer 3

Infants are distressed when an attachment figure leaves their presence

Question 4

What is secure base behaviour, as an attachment behaviour?

Answer 4

Even when we are independent of our attachment figures we tend to make regular contact with them

Question 5

What can an attachment be defined as?

Answer 5

An emotional relationship between two people in which each seeks closeness and feels more secure when in the presence of the attachment figure.

Question 6

What are the two interactions listed in the spec?

Answer 6

-Reciprocity
-Interactional synchrony

Question 7

From an early age babies have meaningful social interactions with their carers. It is believed that these interactions had are needed in order to…

Answer 7

create and reinforce an attachment bond

Question 8

What research do we use for reciprocity?

Answer 8

Jaffe (1973), demonstrated that infants coordinate actions with caregivers in conversation.

Question 9

What does reciprocity mean?

Answer 9

Responding with actions as if in a conversation without speech

Question 10

When is reciprocity expected to happen?

Answer 10

Believed from around three months this interaction tends to be increasingly frequent.

Question 11

What is an example of reciprocity?

Answer 11

When a baby cries the mother responds by feeding the baby or when the mother pulls a silly face the baby laughs

Question 12

What does reciprocity influence?

Answer 12

The childs physical, social and cognitive development. Becoming basis for development of trust.

Question 13

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 13

When mother and infant interact in such a way that their actions and emotions mirror each other

Question 14

What is the case used for interactional synchrony?

Answer 14

Meltzoff and Moore (1977) Found association between expression the adult had displayed and the actions of the baby. Later re done in (1983) with babies 3 days old

Question 15

What are the evaluation of reciprocity and interactional synchrony?

Answer 15

😒There are problems with testing infant behaviour
😒Reciprocity and interactional synchrony is culturally biased
😊Research investigating it is conducted using controlled observations
😒Observations describe behaviour but don’t explain
😊Evidence to suggest that this imitative behaviour forms basis for social development (Meltzoff)

Question 16

Who identified the stages of attachment?

Answer 16

Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

Question 17

What did Schaffer and Emerson aim to investigate?

Answer 17

-The age at which infants become attached
-Who they become attached to
-Whether it is possible to develop multiple attachments

Question 18

What where the characteristics of Schaffer and Emerson study?

Answer 18

-Longitudinal study
-60 working class glaswegian infants
-First year of life and then again at 18 months
-Naturalistic observation
-Self report through caregivers

Question 19

What was found in Schaffer and Emerson?

Answer 19

The baby showed separation anxiety after a carer left and/ or stranger anxiety in response to unfamiliar adults.

Question 20

What are the 4 stages of attachment?

Answer 20

1. Pre-attachment
   2.Indiscriminate attachment
   3.Discriminate attachment
   4.Multiple attachment

Question 21

What is involved in Stage 1. Pre-attachment?

Answer 21

(Birth-6 weeks)
-behaviour towards non- human objects and humans is similar
-Babies prefer other humans to objects, show by smiling at faces

Question 22

What is involved in Stage 2. Indiscriminate attachment?

Answer 22

(6 weeks - 7 months)
-Infants begin to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar people, smiling more at familiar
-Babies accept comfort from any adult, don’t show separation anxiety

Question 23

What is involved in Stage 3. Discriminate attachment?

Answer 23

(7 - 12 months)
-Babies begin to show stranger anxiety
-Anxious when separated from one adult
-50 percent of babies showed separation anxiety, typically towards mother
-Said to have formed attachment with the primary attachment figure (specific attachments)

Question 24

What is involved in Stage 4. Multiple attachments?

Answer 24

(12 months)
-They form strong emotional ties with other major caregivers, called secondary attachments
-Become less scared of strangers and attachment to mother remains strongest

Question 25

What are the evaluations of the Stages of attachment?

Answer 25

😊Schaffer and Emerson carried out in families homes
😒Unrepresentative sample
😒Schaffers stages of attachment is culturally relative
😒Ignores individual differences

Question 26

What is the expectation of fathers in modern day western families?

Answer 26

-The father should play a greater role in bringing up children than previously

Question 27

Why are more fathers expected to play a role in childcare in modern western society?

Answer 27

-As mother working full time has increased in recent decades and fathers have more active roles as a result

Question 28

Mothers usually adopt a more caregiving and nurturing role compared to the father. What role does the father usually adopt?

Answer 28

Fathers adopt a more play-mate role than mothers, more likely to encourage risk taking in children by engaging in physical games.

Question 29

Infants prefer contact with father and mother when?

Answer 29

Father - when in a positive emotional state, want to play
Mother - When in a negative emotional state, distressed and need comforting

Question 30

What are the statistics of single fathers and fathers being the caregiver in families?

Answer 30

-In 2013 10% of families the male was the primary caregiver whilst the mother goes out to work
-9% of single parents are males

Question 31

Which studies are involved in father role?

Answer 31

-Lamb (1987), Found that children form strong attachment with fathers for play
-Field (1978), Found that responsiveness is important in a parent figure, not gender

Question 32

What are the evaluations of the role of the father?

Answer 32

😊The role of the father may be important not for children but mothers too
😊Role of the father benefits children in long term
😊Role of father can help prevent negative development outcomes
😒Doesn’t explain why no difference in children who aren’t raised by fathers don’t turn out differently - MacCallum and Golombok (2004)