Attachment - Bowlby and Ainsworth

Question 2

What is Bowlby’s evolutionary / monotropic theory?

Answer 2

attachments are formed due to both the mother and infant having innate drives to attach to each other caused by social releasers

these social releasers have evolved to be more effective

a baby forms a mental representation of the relationship formed which is used as a model for all later relationships

Question 3

What are the 2 types of social releasers?

Answer 3

physical

behavioural

Question 4

What are social releasers?

Answer 4

a set of innate features and behaviours in babies that encourage attention from adults

Question 5

What are physical social releasers?

Answer 5

the typical ‘baby’ face - big eyes, small nose, small chin etc

Question 6

What are behavioural social releasers?

Answer 6

behaviours that draw attention to themselves - crying, gripping, cooing etc

Question 7

What is monotropy?

Answer 7

the idea that the relationship between an infant and primary caregiver is the most important relationship in development, but especially important for emotional development

Question 8

What is the internal working model?

Answer 8

the mental representation an infant forms of their relationship with their primary caregiver

Question 9

What is the continuity hypothesis?

Answer 9

individuals who are securely attached in infancy continue to be socially and emotionally competent and are more likely to have secure relationships as adults

Question 10

What is the procedure for Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 10

IV - series of structured situations in a specific order

DV - secure base behaviour, stranger anxiety

Question 11

What are the 8 structured situations in Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 11

1. Mother + infant enter the room - mother sits and infant on the floor free to explore
2. A stranger enters and talks to the mother
3. Stranger attempts to engage with the infant
4. Mother leaves the room, stranger attempts to comfort the baby (if upset) and play with them
5. Mother returns and stranger leaves
6. Mother leaves and infant is alone
7. Stranger returns and attempts to comfort + play with infant
8. Mother enters and stranger leaves

Question 12

What were the conclusions from Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 12

the 4 attachment types

Question 13

What are the 4 attachment types?

Answer 13

Insecure-avoidant

Insecure-resistant

Disorganised

Secure

Question 14

What is an insecure-avoidant attachment?

Answer 14

infant doesn’t seek proximity or show secure-base behaviour towards primary caregiver

little to no stranger or seperation anxiety

no comfort required at reunion

Question 15

What is an insecure-resistant attachment?

Answer 15

seeks more proximity to caregiver/more secure-base behaviour and explores less

huge stranger + seperation anxiety

resists comfort during reunion

Question 16

What is a secure attachment?

Answer 16

Infant explores happily but regularly shows secure-base behaviour

moderate stranger + seperation anxiety

requires comfort at reunion

Question 17

What is a disorganised attachment?

Answer 17

Ainsworth added this later for infants she couldn’t fit into the other 3

orphans or infants with no attachments / no constant attachment figure

Question 18

What type of relationship would an insecure-avoidant infant have with the primary caregiver?

Answer 18

neglect from parents

Question 19

What type of relationship would an insecure-resistant infant have with their parents?

Answer 19

too much attention, overbearing parents

Question 20

What issues could insecurely attached infants face later in life?

Answer 20

insecure-avoidant: depression, no friends

insecure-resistant: anxiety, more likely to be clingy

Question 21

What are some strengths from Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 21

inter-rater reliability - all observers had 94% correlation in scores

Question 22

What are some weaknesses of Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 22

sample bias - all middle class, from the same state in america

parents knew they were being watched - social desirability bias

infants in unfamiliar setting - mundane realism

4th attachment type only added later because Ainsworth realised the first 3 didn’t describe all infants

experiment done in 1970s, role of mother changes - historical validity

Question 23

What is an individualist culture?

Answer 23

a culture that emphasises independence and individuality at the expense of group goals

more likely to produce insecure-resistant infants

Question 24

What is a collectivist culture?

Answer 24

a culture that emphasises cooperation and group goals at the expense of individuality

more likely to produce insecure-avoidant infants

Question 25

What is an example of a meta-analysis done on cultural variations in attachment?

Answer 25

meta analysis of 32 strange situation replications

looked for interculture and intracultural differences

secure always the most common

insecure-avoidant more common in collectivist

insecure-resistent more common in individualist