Attachment- Types of Attachment Flashcards
What kind of bond is there between a securely attached child and its caregiver?
Strong
What happens if a securely attached child is separated from caregiver?
It becomes distressed
How does a securely attached child behave upon reunion?
Easily comforted by caregiver
What attachment type is secure attachment?
Type B
How does an insecure-avoidant attached child behave when separated from caregiver?
They don’t usually become distressed
Which children generally show an insecure-avoidant attachment?
Ones who generally avoid social interaction and intimacy with others
What attachment type is insecure-avoidant attachment?
Type A
How do insecure-resistant attached children behave around their caregiver?
Often uneasy but becomes upset when separated
How do insecure-resistant attached children behave when comforted?
Comfort can’t be given by strangers and it’s often resisted from caregiver
How do insecure-resistant children behave in social interaction?
They both accept and reject social interaction and intimacy
What attachment type is insecure-resistant?
Type C
What was the strange situation?
- Controlled observation
- 12-18 month old infants left in a room with mother
- 8 stages including being approached by a stranger, infant being left alone, and mother returning
What were the results from the strange situation?
- 15% of infants were insecure-avoidant
- 70% were securely attached
- 15% were insecure-resistant
What was the conclusion from the strange situation?
Infants showing different reactions to their carer have different types of attachment
What is the evaluation from the strange situation?
- Control over variables so results were reliable
- Artificial situation so reduced ecological validity
- Parents may have changed behaviour so infants would have changed behaviour
- Mother may not have been main attachment figure
Who conducted the strange situation?
Ainsworth
What was Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study?
- Meta-analysis
- 32 studies of the strange situation in different countries
- Analysed to find patterns
What were the results from Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study?
- Percentages of children classed as secure or insecure were similar across countries
- More differences within countries than between them
- Secure attachments were most common
- Western culture, insecure-avoidant was dominant type of insecure
- Non-Western culture, insecure-resistant was dominant type of insecure
- Highest proportion of insecure-avoidant in Germany
- Highest proportion of insecure-resistant in Japan
What was the conclusion from Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study?
There are cross-cultural similarities in raising children and had common reactions to the ‘strange situation’
What is the evaluation from Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study?
- Strange situation may not be an appropriate of studying cross-cultural attachment
- Assumes different countries are same as different cultures
- Can hide individual results
What are important findings from the strange situation?
- Some cultural differences are found
- Causes of different attachment types are debatable
- Strange situation doesn’t show characteristics of child
- Attachment type may influence later behaviours
