Attachment: Key Terms Flashcards
Bodily Contact
physical interactions between carer and infant help to form the attachment bond, especially in period immediately after birth
Mimicking
infants seem to have an innate ability to imitate carers’ facial expressions, which suggests it is a biological device to aid the formation of attachments
Caregiverese
adults who interact with infants use a modified form of vocal language that is high-pitched, song-like in nature, slow and repetitive. this aids communication between carer and infant and strengthens the attachment bond
Interactional Synchrony
infants move their body in tune with the rhythm of carers’ spoken language to create a kind of turn-taking, as seen with two-way vocal conversations. this also serves to reinforce the attachment bond
Reciprocity
interactions between carers and infants result in mutual behaviour, with both parties being able to produce responses from each other, which also helps to fortify the attachment bond
The 4 Stages of Attachment in Order
1) Asocial (0-6 weeks)
2) Indiscriminate (6 weeks-6 months)
3) Discriminate (7 months onwards)
4) Multiple (10-11 months onward)
Asocial Attachment
- produce similar responses to objects + people + don’t prefer specific people to others
- have bias towards human-like stimuli + prefer to look at faces + eyes
- reciprocity + interactional synchrony play key role in establishing relationship with others
Indiscriminate Attachment
- become more sociable
- can tell people apart + preper to be in human company
- relatively easily comforted by anyone + don’t prefer specific individuals yet (no separation anxiety)
- no fear of strangers (stranger anxiety)
Discriminate Attachment
- start to display stranger anxiety
- become anxious when separated from one particular adult (mother in 65% of cases) + most comforted when this person returns
Multiple Attachments
- start to extend attachment behaviour to other adults they interact with
- 29% of infants had secondary attachment within a month of forming primary
- by 1 most developed multiple
Dad as Primary Attachment Figure
- Schaffer and Emerson found 65% became attached to mothers first
- 30% attachment formed simultaneously with mother and father
- 3% father first attachment
Dad as Secondary Attachment Figure
- within short period of time babies formed secondary attachments including to father
- 29% had secondary withn month of forming primary
- 75% attachment with father within 18 months
Learning Theory of Attachment
- proposes all behaviour is learned not inborn
- behaviourists propose all behaviour, including attachment learned wither through classical or operant conditioning
- proposed by behaviourists hwo focus on what people do rather than what goes on in their mind
Classical Conditioning Explaining Attachment
- process of association
- neutral stimulus to conditioned stimulus: foodgiver
- unconditioned stimulus: food
- unconditioned stimulus to conditioned stimulus: pleasure
Operant Conditioning Explaining Attachment
- when hungry infant feels uncomfortable and experiences drive state which motivates baby to find way to lessen discomfort of being hungry
- babies are altricial so cry and are fed which leads to drive reduction
- food=reward/primary reinforcer
- foodgiver=secondary reinforcer as become associated
- infant seeks this person as they ares ource of reward
- infant becomes attached through negatve reinforcement
Bowlby: Evolutionary Theory
- why attachment forms
- attachment is naturally selected behaviour
- increases chances of survival
- increases caregivers chance of genes surviving
- ‘trait’ been passed down through evolution
Bowlby: Social Releasers
- how attachment forms
- ensure infants can elicit care-giving reaction
- tend to be smiling, crying, cooing
- suggested these are innate in infants as is response in adults
Bowlby: Critical Period
- how attachment forms
- limited window within which something can take place
- believed that if child hadn’t formed attachment before 2 1/2 then it won’t be possible after
- proposed attachment determined in terms of reciprocity and interactional synchrony within critical period
Bowlby: Monotropic Theory
- how attachment forms
- said attachments were monotropy - infants have one special emotional bond to primary caregiver
- mum also only attches to one child at a time
- law of continuity: more constant a childs care, better quality of attachment
- low of accumulated separation: effects of every separation add up
Bowlby: Sensitivity Hypothesis
- how attachment forms
- proposes primary attachment figure not necessarily mother it’s who responds in most responsive and sensitive manner to infants’ social releasers
- interactional synchrony and reciprocity help fortify bond as they’re sign of babies and adults being responsive
Bowlby: Internal Working Model
- consequence of attachment
- believed relationship formed with one special attachment figure (monotropy) provides infant with internal working model of relationships
- internal working model is schema or blueprint which creates expectations about what to expect from others in future relationships
- short term allows form partnership with caregiver
- long term acts as template for future intimate relationships
Bowlby: Continuity Hypothesis
- consequence of attachment
- states infants monotropic relationship influences all future relationships
- early attachment relationship will be reflected in later emotional behaviour
- those securely attached will be socially and emotionally competent adults
- those insecurely attached with have social and emotional difficulties in childhood and adulthood
Culture
the norms and values that exist within any group of people
Cultural Variations
the differences of the norms and values between these groups of people