Attachment- Introduction to attachment Flashcards
Reciprocity -
A description of how two people interact. Mother-infant interaction is reciprocal in that both infant and mother respond to each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the other.
Interactional synchrony -
Mother and infant reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated (synchronised) way.
From an early age, what do babies have with their carers, and what is its believed function?
Babies have meaningful social interactions with their carers, believed to have important functions for the child’s social development, particularly for the development of caregiver-infant attachment.
What are ‘alert phases’ in babies, and how do mothers typically respond?
Babies have periodic ‘alert phases’ where they signal they are ready for interaction. Mothers typically pick up on and respond to infant alertness around two-thirds of the time.
What is reciprocity in caregiver-infant interactions?
Reciprocity is when each person responds to the other and elicits a response, creating a back-and-forth interaction.
From what age do interactions between babies and caregivers become more frequent, and what do they involve?
From around three months, interactions become increasingly frequent and involve close attention to each other’s verbal signals and facial expressions.
How do traditional views of childhood differ from more recent understandings of the baby’s role in interactions?
Traditional views saw the baby as passive, receiving care from an adult, but recent understandings show the baby takes an active role, with both mother and child initiating interactions and taking turns.
What did Brazleton et al. compare caregiver-infant interactions to, and why?
Brazleton et al. compared caregiver-infant interactions to a ‘dance,’ as each partner responds to the other’s moves in a coordinated way.
At what age did Meltzoff and Moore observe the beginnings of interactional synchrony?
Meltzoff and Moore observed the beginnings of interactional synchrony in infants as young as two weeks old.
What is interactional synchrony, and how is it defined?
Interactional synchrony is the temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour, where mother and infant interact in such a way that their actions and emotions mirror each other.
What did Meltzoff and Moore find in their study of adult facial expressions and infant responses?
They found an association between the expression or gesture the adult displayed and the actions of the babies, indicating early synchrony.
What did Isabella et al. find about the relationship between interactional synchrony and mother-infant attachment?
Isabella et al. found that high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother-infant attachment, such as greater emotional intensity in the relationship.
Who do infants typically become attached to first, and when do secondary attachments form?
Infants typically become attached to their mother first (around 7 months), and within a few weeks or months, they form secondary attachments to other family members, including the father.
By what age had 75% of infants in Schaffer and Emerson’s study formed an attachment with their father?
By 18 months, 75% of infants had formed an attachment with their father, determined by the infants protesting when their father walked away.
What did Grossman find about the relationship between mother-infant attachment and adolescent attachment?
Grossman found that the quality of infant attachment with mothers, but not fathers, was related to children’s attachments in adolescence.
What role did Grossman suggest fathers have in attachment?
Grossman suggested that fathers have a different role in attachment, more related to play and stimulation rather than nurturing.
What did Tiffany Field find about primary caregiver fathers compared to secondary caregiver fathers?
Tiffany Field found that primary caregiver fathers, like mothers, spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers, suggesting they can be nurturing attachment figures.
What is the key to the attachment relationship, according to research?
The key to the attachment relationship is the level of responsiveness, not the gender of the parent.
Why is it hard to know what is happening when observing infants?
It is hard to know because observations are limited to hand movements or changes in expression, making it difficult to determine the infant’s perspective or whether their actions are conscious and deliberate.
What is a strength of controlled observations in mother-infant interaction studies?
Controlled observations capture fine details of behaviour, often filmed from multiple angles, ensuring accurate recording and analysis. Additionally, babies’ behaviour does not change in response to observation, enhancing the validity of the research.
What does Feldman point out about synchrony and reciprocity?
Feldman points out that synchrony and reciprocity describe behaviours that occur at the same time but do not explain their purpose.
What evidence suggests the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity?
Evidence suggests that synchrony and reciprocity are helpful in the development of mother-infant attachment, stress responses, empathy, language, and moral development.
Why is research into the role of fathers in attachment confusing?
Research is confusing because different studies focus on different questions, such as fathers as secondary attachment figures versus primary attachment figures, leading to inconsistent findings.
What did MacCallum and Golombok find about children in single or same-sex parent families?
They found that children in single or same-sex parent families do not develop differently from those in two-parent heterosexual families, suggesting the father’s role as a secondary attachment figure may not be crucial.
Why don’t fathers generally become primary attachment figures?
This may be due to traditional gender roles, where women are expected to be more nurturing, or biological factors, such as female hormones like estrogen predisposing women to higher levels of nurturing.
Why is research into mother-infant interaction considered socially sensitive?
It is socially sensitive because it suggests that children may be disadvantaged by certain child-rearing practices, such as mothers returning to work shortly after birth, potentially limiting opportunities for interactional synchrony.
What does other research show about working mothers and caregiver-infant interactions?
Other research shows that working mothers have plenty of time for interactions after working hours, suggesting they can still achieve meaningful caregiver-infant interactions.
Should socially sensitive research be carried out, and why?
This is a consideration for debate, as such research is potentially important for understanding attachment but must be balanced against its social sensitivity and potential implications for parenting practices.
