Attachment, The Self and Gender Development Flashcards
What is the term used to describe a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space?
Attachment
Who are the 2 key researchers of Attachment?
John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth
Why is attachment necessary?
Human infants are more vulnerable than infants from other species, thus they require more help from their caregiver, have less independence at a young age and have more attachment towards their caregiver
Apart from comparing human infant vulnerability with other animals, why is attachment necessary?
- As a result of human infant vulnerability and the inability to look after themselves, infants must maintain proximity to the source of care
- Infant requires greater investment from the mother/primary caregiver
- Effective strategies to elicit attachment between caregiver and child are needed for survival
Which researcher did early work with maladjusted children?
John Bowlby
Which researcher suggested that attachment supports the relationship between the primary caregiver and infant?
John Bowlby
Which researcher worked with children under incidences of large-scale separations (e.g., evacuation)
Simply = Worked with children who were separated from their caregivers during WW2
John Bowlby
Which researcher conducted research on forty-four juvenile thieves (1944)?
John Bowlby
What did Bowlby discover in his research of forty-four juvenile thieves (1944)?
A majority of the juvenile thieves had disruptions in relationships with their primary caregivers
e.g. multiple foster home histories
What does competence-motivated mean?
Infants use their caregiver as a secure base
What do the results of Bowlby’s forty-four juvenile thieves study suggest?
That weak relationships and weak early attachments with caregivers affect children’s behaviour and development
What was John Bowlby’s study inspired by?
1) Lorenz’s imprinting behaviours research
2) Harry Harlow’s attachment in rhesus monkeys research
Who conducted an attachment study on rhesus monkeys?
Harry Harlow
What happened in Harlow’s rhesus monkey study?
1) Baby rhesus monkeys were separated from their biological mothers
2) The baby monkeys were presented with two artificial “mothers”
- 1 mother provided them with food (wire mother)
- 1 mother gave them comfort with their soft “skin” (cloth mother)
3) The baby rhesus monkeys felt attached to the cloth mother even when they were fed by the wire mother
What do the results in Harlow’s rhesus monkey study suggest about early attachment?
Children develop a connection with a caregiver through warmth and comfort rather than solely for food and survival reasons
What is the term used to describe when children develop a connection with a caregiver through warmth and comfort rather than solely for food and survival reasons?
Contact comfort
Which researcher proposed the attachment theory?
John Bowlby
What did John Bowlby suggest in his attachment theory?
- Proposed that attachment is developed over 4 phases to a secure base
- A primary caregiver’s presence provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the infant to explore their environment
What is the internal working model of attachment based on?
It is based on the extent to which caregivers of infants can be depended on to satisfy the infant’s needs and provide a sense of security for exploration
According to Bowlby, what are the 4 phases of attachment?
- Preattachment phase
- Attachment-in-the-making
- Clear-cut attachment
- Reciprocal relationships
According to Bowlby, at what age do infants go through the preattachment stage?
From birth to 6 weeks
According to Bowlby, at what age do infants go through the attachment-in-the-making stage?
From 6 weeks to 6-8 months
According to Bowlby, at what age do infants go through the clear-cut attachment stage?
From 6-8 months to 1-2 years
According to Bowlby, at what age do infants go through the reciprocal relationships stage?
From 1-2 years onwards