Attachment key terms

Question 1

Reciprocity

Answer 1

A description of how two people interact. Caregiver-infant interaction is reciprocal in that both caregiver and baby respond to each other’s signals and each elicits a response from the other.

Question 2

Interactional synchrony

Answer 2

Caregiver and baby reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated (synchronised) way

Question 3

Stages of attachment

Answer 3

Mnay developmental theories identify a sequence of qualitatively different behaviours linked to specific ages. In the case of stages of attachment qualitatively different infant behaviours are linked to specific ages, and all babies go through them in the same order.

Question 4

Multiple attachments

Answer 4

Attachments to two or more people. Most babies appear to develop multiple attachments once they have formed one strong attachment to one of their carers

Question 5

Father

Answer 5

In attachment research the father is anyone who takes on the role of the main male caregiver. This can be but is not necessarily the biological father

Question 6

Animal studies

Answer 6

In psychology these are studies carried on on non-human animal species rather than on humans, either for ethical or practical reasons - practical because animals breed faster and researchers are interested in seeing results across more than one generation of animals

Question 7

Learning theory

Answer 7

A set of theories from the behaviourist appriach to psychology, that emphasise the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour. Explanations for learning of behaviour include classical and operant conditioning

Question 8

Monotropic

Answer 8

A term sometimes used to describe Bowlby’s theory. Mono means one and tropic means ‘learning towards’ this indicates that one particular attachment is different from all others and of central importance to a childs development

Question 9

Critical period

Answer 9

The time within which an attachment must form if it is to form at all. Lorenz and Harlow noted that attachment in birds and monkeys had critical periods. Bowlby extended the idea to humans, proposing that human babies have a sensitive period after which it will be more difficult to form an attachment

Question 10

Internal working model

Answer 10

Our mental representations of the world, e.g. the representation we have of our relationship to our primary attachment figure. This model affects our future relationships because it carries our perception of what relationships are like

Question 11

Strange situation

Answer 11

A controlled observation designed to test attachment security. Babies are assessed on their repsonse to playing in an unfamiliar room, being left alone, left with a stranger and being reunited with a caregiver

Question 12

Secure attachment

Answer 12

Generally thought of as the most desirable attachment type, associated with psychologically healthy outcomes. in the strange situation this is shown by moderate stranger and seperation anxiety and ease of comfort at reunion.

Question 13

Insecure-avoidant attachment

Answer 13

An attachment type characterised by low anxiety but weak attachment. In the strange situation this is show by low stranger and seperation anxiety and little response to reunion, maybe even an avoidance of the caregiver

Question 14

insecure resistant attachment

Answer 14

An attachment type characterised by strong attachment and high anxiety. In the strange situation this is shown by high levels of stranger and seperation anxiety and by resistance to being comforted at reunion

Question 15

Cultural variations

Answer 15

Culture refers to the norms and values that exist within any group of people. Culutrual variations then are the differences in norms and values that exist between people in different groups. In attachment research we are concerned with the differences in the proportion of children of different attachment types

Question 16

Maternal deprivation

Answer 16

The emotional and intellecutal consequences of seperation between a child and his/her mother or mother-substitute. Bowlby proposed that continuous care from a mother is essential for normal psychological development, and that prolonged seperation from this adult causes serious damage to emotional and intellecutal development

Question 17

Orphan studies

Answer 17

These concern children placed in care because their parents cannot look after them. An orphan is a child whose parents have either died or have abandoned them permanently.

Question 18

Institutionalisation

Answer 18

A term for the effects of living in an institutional setting. The term ‘institution’ refers to a place like a hospital or an orphanage where people live for long, continuos periods of time. In such places there is often very little emotional care provided. In attachment research we are interested in the effects of institutional care on childrens attachment and subsequent development

Question 19

Childhood relationships

Answer 19

Affilitations with other people in childhood, including friends and classmates, and with adults such as teachers

Question 20

Adult relationships

Answer 20

Those relationships the child goes on to have later in life as an adult. These include friendships and working relationships but most critically relationships with most romantic partners and the person’s own children

Question 21

Internal working model

Answer 21

Our mental representations of the world, e.g. the representation we have our relationship to our primary attachment figure. This model affects our future relationships because it carries our perception of what relationships are like.