Attachment Theory Flashcards

1
Q

What are the basic principles of attachment theory?

A

-humans have a very strong need to form and maintain stable/strong relationships

–in order to understand how we form relationships we need to focus on how relationships form… especially in relation to our caregivers

–through our interactions with those around us (caregiver, parents) we learn how to build relationships that matter and use this as models as who we will be as caregivers and what we can provide as romantic partners

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2
Q

what did John Bowlby consider to be the consequences of maternal deprivation?

A

-anxiety, anger, delinquency, and depression

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3
Q

What are the stages of attachment based on John Bowlby’s theory?

A

–pre attachment; birth - 6/8 weeks

–attachment in the making: 6/8 weeks -6/8 months

–true attachment: 6/8 months - 1 1/2 - 2 yrs

–reciprocal relationships: 1 1/2 or 2 yrs

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4
Q

What do we mean by a secure base?

A

-comfort provided by attachment figures

–EX: mothers

–feeling comforted by a attachment figure allows the baby to venture forth and explore the environment

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5
Q

what is the role of fathers in the development of attachment? *

A

-father spend much of their time with babies playing with them physically

–Infants often prefer to play with fathers but rely on mothers when they are distressed

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6
Q

What was Harlow’s contribution to the attachment theory? Briefly describe his experiments and what we learned from them.

A

–researcher manipulates how baby monkeys form attachment by determining whether is the food that helps or the comfort

–he deprives baby monkeys of any contact with their caregiver and gives them a wire monkey that provides food or one that is covered with warm fabric so that the baby monkey can be warmed

**babies form secure attachments because they need someone that provides warmth and comfort

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7
Q

What was Ainsworht’s contribution?

A

-tested Bowlby’s ideas with humans infants

–invented a laboratory procedure to assess the quality (style) of infants attachment

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8
Q

what is the strange situation paradigm?

A
  • baby and parent alone in playroom
  • stranger enter and talks to parent
  • parent leaves
  • -parent returns, stranger leaves
  • parent leaves child alone
  • -stranger enters and offer comfort
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9
Q

what are the 3 different attachment styles?

A

-secure attachment

–insecure/resistant

–insecure/avoidant

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10
Q

What kinds of caregiving behaviors give rise to different attachment styles?

A

-contingent/responsive care = secure attachment

–inconsistent/ unpredictable care = insecure/ resistant

–rejecting/ neglectful care = insecure/ avoidant

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11
Q

What is the approximate distribution of infants in each attachment style?

A

-65% securely attached

–20% insecure/avoidant

–15% insecure/resistant

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12
Q

How do early experiences affect adult life? What is the relation between child attachment and adult attachment style?

A

–Child’s attachment style persists over time if relationship with parents are stable; this style in turn influences other relationships

-style can change if important relationships change

–stability and plasticity

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13
Q

How does daycare impact attachment?

A

-parents fear that daycare will alter a baby’s attachment to them, but there is no evidence that a use of a good daycare will lead to insecure attachment

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14
Q

preattachment

A

baby has no attachment and has innate signals that bring the caregiver

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15
Q

attachment in the making

A

baby being to differentiate caregivers from other adults

–baby is gradually identifying the primary caregiver as the person they can depend on when they’re anxious or distressed

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16
Q

true attachment

A

baby seeks contact with caregiver (secure base)

–baby singled out the attachment figure as a special individual

17
Q

reciprocal relationships

A

Infants’ growing cognitive and language skills and their accumulated experience with their primary care-giver make infants better able to act as true partners in the attachment relationship

18
Q

Ainsworth’s strange situation results

A

-displayed three types of attachment styles

19
Q

in a secure attachment working model mental representation we ….

A

seek people who make us feel secure

20
Q

in an insecure attachment working model mental representation we/…

A

try to deal with things on our own, or suppress distress

21
Q

True or False: if the working model is confirmed over time with consistent behavior it will lead to a consistent working model

A

True

22
Q

can attachment style change?

A

EX: child has insecure attachment to biological parents, but then is adopted by loving parents so attachment style changes to secure attachment

23
Q

What are the patterns of attachment across the world? why do they occur? *

A
  • secure attachment most common
  • Japan: resistant attachment more common than avoidant attachment

-WHY?: differences may reflect cultural variations in the impact of parents’ expectations about infant behavior on infants’ responses in the Strange Situation