Attachment Key Words

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

Attachment is an emotional tie or bond between two people, usually a mother and a child. The relationship is shared, which means it is a two-way relationship.

Question 2

Reciprocity

Answer 2

Reciprocity describes how two people interact, where both infant and mother respond to each other’s signals and elicit a response from each other.

Question 3

International synchrony

Answer 3

Interactional synchrony is when mother and infant reflect both the actions and emotions of the other in a coordinated manner.

Question 4

What are the stages of attachment?

Answer 4

Stages of attachment refer to a sequence of qualitatively different behaviors linked to specific ages, where infants’ behavior towards others changes as they grow.

Question 5

What is the asocial stage of attachment?

Answer 5

The asocial stage occurs in the first few weeks, where babies’ behavior towards non-human objects and humans is similar.

Question 6

What are indiscriminate attachments?

Answer 6

Indiscriminate attachments occur between 2-7 months, where babies start to show a preference for people but do not behave differently towards any one person.

Question 7

What are specific attachments?

Answer 7

Specific attachments develop around 7 months, when babies start to show stranger anxiety as they form a specific attachment to one particular adult identified by Schaffer.

Question 8

What are multiple attachments?

Answer 8

Multiple attachments occur from 1 year onwards, when babies extend their specific attachment to others, forming secondary attachments.

Question 9

What are animal studies?

Answer 9

Animal studies are research conducted on non-human animal species rather than humans, often for ethical or practical reasons.

Question 10

What is imprinting?

Answer 10

Imprinting is when offspring follow the first large moving object they see.

Question 11

What is learning theory?

Answer 11

Learning theory is a set of theories from the behaviorist approach to psychology that emphasize the role of learning in the acquisition of behavior.

Question 12

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 12

Classical conditioning is a type of learning where an existing involuntary reflex response is associated with a new stimulus.

Question 13

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 13

Operant conditioning is a type of learning where a new voluntary behavior is associated with a consequence; reinforcement makes the behavior more likely to occur, while punishment makes it less likely.

Question 14

Primary drive

Answer 14

An innate biological motivator

Question 15

Secondary drive

Answer 15

Are those learned through conditioning or association with a primary drive such as attachment and social acceptance

Question 16

Monotropic

Answer 16

A term used to describe bowlbys theory
Mono means “one” indicating that one particular attachment is different from all others and or central importance to the child’s development

Question 17

Innate

Answer 17

A behaviour that is instinctive and does not need to be learned

Question 18

Internal working model

Answer 18

The metal representations we all carry with us of our attachment to our primary caregiver
They are important in affecting our future relationships because they carry our perception of what relationships are like

Question 19

Social releases

Answer 19

Innate behaviours are shown by an infant that lead to a caregiving response (eg. Cooing)

Question 20

Critical period

Answer 20

This refers to the time within which an attachment must form if it is to form at all

Question 21

Sensitive period

Answer 21

The best time period over which attachments can be formed

Question 22

Strange situation

Answer 22

A controlled observation designed to test attachments security
Infants are assessed on their response to playing in an unfamiliar room, being left alone, left with a stranger and being reunited with a caregiver

Question 23

Secure attachment

Answer 23

The most desired attachment type associated with psychologically healthy outcomes
Moderate stranger anxiety and separation anxiety and ease of comfort reunion

Question 24

Insecure avoidant attachment

Answer 24

Characterised by low anxiety but weak attachment
Low stranger anxiety and seperation anxiety and little response to reunion

Question 25

Insecure resistant attachment

Answer 25

Characterised by a strong attachment and high anxiety
High levels of stranger and separation anxiety and by resistance to be conforted on reunion

Question 26

Meta analysis

Answer 26

Where researchers combine the findings to multiple studies to draw an overall conclusion

Question 27

Cultural variations

Answer 27

The difference in Norma’s and values that exist between people in different groups

Question 28

Maternal deprivation

Answer 28

The emotional and intellectual consequences of separation between and child and their mother substitute
Continuous care from the mother is essential for normal psychological development and that prolonged separation from this adult causes serious damage to development

Question 29

Affectionless psychopathy

Answer 29

A term used by Bowlby to describe people who don’t show concern or affection for other people and show no or very little remorse or guilt

Question 30

Instututionalisation

Answer 30

The effects of living is an istitutional setting.
A place where children can live for long continuous periods of time
There is little to no emotional care provided

Question 31

Orphan studies

Answer 31

These concern children placed in care because their parents cannot look after them

Question 32

Disinhibited attachment

Answer 32

Child shows equal affection to strangers as they do people they know well

Question 33

Childhood relationships

Answer 33

Affiliations with other people in childhood including friends and classmates with adults such as teachers ect

Question 34

Adult relationships

Answer 34

Those relationships the child goes into have later in life as an adult
These include friendships and working relationships but most critically relationships with romantic partners and the persons own children