Attachments Flashcards
What defines caregiver- infant interactions (2thibgs)
• reciprocity
• interactional synchrony
What is reciprocity
• child + parent (usually mother) pay attention to each others verbal and non verbal signals, taking it in turn to initiate this as a sequence
What is interactional synchrony
• child and parent are in harmony w verbal and non verbal signals mirroring eachother
Research supporting caregiver- infant interaction feldman et al (not mentioned in spec)
• observational study found that mothers responded to their babies in a reciprocal way two thirds of time
Caregiver- infant interactions Isabella et al study
• found that better quality of maternal care was associated w higher levels of mother- infant synchrony
Evaluation of feldman et al and Isabella et al
• both naturalist observations both have high ecological validity however potential observer effect may decrease validity
Schaffer & Emerson study (mentioned in spec)
A01: - studied 60 babies in Glasgow from birth to 18 months
- visited homes once a month + interviewed mothers on babies behaviours
Schaffer & Emerson study what did results show
• 50% of babies showed separation anxiety towards primary care giver in first 25-32 weeks
• babies showed strongest attachments to those who met their needs most rather than those who spent most time w them
( example of ms child she was at work all the time but she was the mother but child still chose stronger attachment to uncle who interacted w them more)
What did Schaffer and Emerson’s study develop
4 stages of attachment
What are the stages of attachment as developed by Schaffer & Emerson (keep blurting till memorise)
AISM
- stage 1: Asocial stage (0-few weeks old) - baby doesn’t distinguish between human + non human objects
- stage 2: indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months old)- baby prefers familiar adults but happy to be comforted by any adult
- stage 3: specific attachment (7months onwards) - baby now prefers 1 specific adult + shows separation& stranger anxiety
- stage 4: multiple attachments (8/9 months onwards)- baby enjoys being w ppl familiar to rather than 1 specific caregiver all the time
What does pneumonic AISM stand for - what study + time periods too
A- asocial stage (0-few weeks)
I- indiscriminate attachments (2-7months)
S- specific attachment (7 months onwards)
M- multiple attachments (8/9 months onwards)
Schaffer & Emerson A03
- Strength- most observations carried out by parents of babies which give study good EXTERNAL VALIDITY
good face validity
- Strength- longitudinal design- which means that changes and progress could be tracked over time giving study good INTERNAL VALIDITY
- Weakness- all of families were from same council estate in Glasgow which limits the generalisability of findings
- Weakness- findings may lack TEMPORAL VALIDITY as families r very diff now to how they were in 1960s (now same sex parents single parents blended families)
Research into interactional synchrony A01 meltzoff &moore
- infants as young as 2 weeks observed via camera
- infants observed a parent do 2/3 or 4 actions
- opening mouth poking finger waving
- independent observers told to view footage + state what infants do
- double blind as observer did not know aim of expoerment
Outcome of meltzoff & moore
• positive correlation between infants actions & primary caregivers copying was occurring
A03 meltzoff & Moore + Isabella et al study ( questions are usually part of stem A02 explain how behaviour in infant is seen)
• double blind trial observer DIDNT know aims so results less biased
• camera may have had an effect on ppt as may have been intrusive
• strong face validity as it looks true makes sense
• we can never be certain if infant acted certain way coz of copying or another reason
Another study for intersectional synchrony isabella et al
• assessed 30 infants using meltzoff & Moore method
• found better synchrony was shown by infants who had higher levels of attachment to primary care giver
• shows that interactional synchrony is important and linked strongly to securely attachched relationships
Study for reciprocity the pseudo- conversation
• where caregiver speaks to infant and allows infant to respond
• teaches child ab taking turn in convos either no party can tell what is being said
Basically speaking in exaggerated voice waiting for baby to reply
Multiple attachments Schaffer & Emerson findings
• by the time infants were 18 months old multiple attachments already formed
Opposite theory to schaffer & Emerson multiple attachments at 18m
• bowlbys monotropy theory
What was bowlbys monotropy theory
Infant forms one main attachment to primary care giver and this is then replicated throughout life w other relationships
What was the second most common attachments formed - schaffer & Emerson Glasgow baby study
A01
• attachment to father
• was the case in 27% of initial samples
• at 18 months 75% formed attachments with their father
• role of father has signif developed sing then more men at hands on w children than inn1960s
Research into role of father- Geiger AO1
• found that fathers had diff role from mother
• mum associated w care and nurturing child
• dad is more about fun & playing w child
• fr this we get idea that fathers role is being the fun dad
Gross man study into role of fathers AO1
• conducted longitudinal study observing how quality of relationships between parents + children changed from infancy to teenage years
Grossman role of father findings
• found that the early attachment to mother was better indicator of what teenage relationships was like
• seems that father is less important to later development than mother in terms of nurture
• however found that if father had engaged in active play w child when young adolescents relationship w both parents is strengthened supporting geigers work
Field. S study on role of father CA
• found that if father was main PCG from before attachments began ( before 6 months ) then they’d take maternal role
• were seen to be more nurturing and caring than traditional father role
• shows there’s flexibility in role of father + how men can respond to the diff needs of their child
AO3 of role of father
- diff research seems to state diff facts ab fatherhood; all looking for diff things so results r inconsistent
Questions raised like
- if we believe fathers r vital to infant development what happens if child has no father?
- why don’t more men become PCG if they r capable from field study.
- is it a nature or nurturant issue as men lack estrogen or maybe they r less socialised to take caring role
- socially sensitive. Research that argues the role of the mother cannot be replaced by the father may lead to father led single families and families with two fathers feeling they cannot fully provide for the needs of infants,
- while research that suggests father’s can provide that role may give all father’s the confidence to take a more active role in their child’s caregiving.
- There are economic implications to research assessing the importance of the father’s role; this could lead to legislation that ensures equal paternity and maternity leave. While this may reduce the number of males in the workforce, reduce economic activity, and place pressure on businesses, equalising maternity and paternity leave should help to address the gender pay gap, which is in part due to the need to extend absences by mothers caring for their infants.
What did goodsell+ meldrum find ab having secure attachments w both parents
• children need both parents so it’s not a case of only one parent being better suited
Practical application points -Role of father
• paternity/ maternity leave
• custody of children- men having more equality
• role modelling parental skills in young men
• more societal acceptance of single father
• for role of father Q
Important to know one study into role of father in sufficient depth for a 4m answer
Dw too much ab remembering name of psychologists
• u can use several other studies in less depth for 8/16 markers
• for Q on animal attachments
• both Lorenz + Harlow mentioned on spec must know in detail as any q can come up
Lorenz study - animal
• used imprinting w goslings
• made sure he was the first living adult that experimental group of newborn goslings introduced to
Outcome of Lorenz study
- goslings followed lorenz around even when in presence of their actual Goose mother
- indicates critical period of 32 hours in which animate beings attach to another being - suggests if this period is lost then attachments may never happen
What is imprinting - Lorenz study how does it link
• idea that some species attach to first moving object they see when they’re born
• idea found more in ducks n birds
• suggests attachments are innate if they’re formed from in such a quick time period ( seconds)
- poses question if attachments r innate in humans
AO1 Lorenz study
• 12 fertilised eggs and spilt into 2 groups
• one group is control group that remained w mother until hatched
• 2nd experimental group placed in incubator and Lorenz was first thing they saw once hatched
• Lorenz goslings folllwed him everywhere and even as adults thiught Lorenz was the mother
AO3 Lorenz study
- supports idea of critical period as found goslings needed to imprint within 30 hours or attachment not possible
- later supports bowlbys idea of humans critical period of 30 months
- humans r more complex tho so attachments aren’t as quick in humans birds have diff survivable requirements and mature faster than humans
- study high ecological validity as it was a filed study
- high replicable and reliable as repeated
- small sample size tho might limit generalisability
- human attachments need to take longer as mothers wellbeing after having baby needs time
- however it’s encouraged for mother to spend time w baby once born to encourage developments to begin
- provides biological expl
Harlow AO1
• wanted to look at how infant monkeys attached to mothers
• baby monkeys taken from mums as soon as born
• places in cage w two surrogate mothers - one made of comfortable cloth and ither wire
• wired monkey had milk- food
• monkey spent most time w clothed mother only going to wired one for food
• if monkey was scared would go to clothed monkey for security and comfort
• used clothed mother as safe space to explore cage
• CONCLUDED FROM THIS THAT INFANTS NEEDED COMFORT MORE THAN FOOD FOR ATTACHMENT
AO3 Harlow
• v influential as prior research thought attxhemnts formed due to food but now can see that comfort is important
• unethical experiment, monkeys had irreparable damage in adulthood as they suffered psychological harm often self harmed and couldn’t attach to own offspring
• highlighted need for responsive caregiver to meet needs of baby monkey
• questions ab validity- is it rlly attachment?
• not reliable as it should never and won’t ever be repeated
Over AO3 of animal studies
- how much of this can we apply to humans as we r much more advanced
- clear diff in species and would be wrong to generalise to human babies w out more evidence
- some may argue Harlow study is more similar to humans as monkeys used
- practical applications e.g immediate physical contact post brith
- Lorenz critical period highly influential bowl by argued this period in humans was 6-30 months and if no attachments by this time then social problems arise
- if talking ab ethics remember doesnt affect validity
What is dolland & millars cupboard love theory
We’re attached to our mothers coz she gives us food and so we associate them to meeting our basic physical needs
What is learning theory
• all behaviour including attachments can be explained by classical & operant conditioning
What is classical conditioning
Learning via association
When two stimuli are presented multiple times such as food (unconditioned) and the mother (neutral)
The feeling of pleasure (unconditioned response) starts to become associated with the mother (conditioned stimulus).
Now the pleasure (conditioned) happens whenever the mother appears
What is operant conditioning
Learning through trial error and consequence or patterns of reinforcement which make behaviours more or less likely to happen
Eg. When babies cry and are hungry parent gives food to stop baby crying
Makes babies think food comes for crying association (positive reinforcement)
Also on parents (negative reinforcement) so when baby cries it’s a negative stimulus for parent so to remove they go for babies needs
Attachments as drive for baby
Primary or secondary drives
• can say it’s a secdonary drive coz babies want to be attached only coz it’s linked to primary drive
• primary - biological drives eg. Food,sex
• secondary- still drives but through learnt interactions eg. Money,
Process of attachment can be used to satisfy primary drives in babies (satisfies primary drives of getting food)
A03 learning theory positives
- clear and believable theory for attachment. Backed up by well controlled research
- has strong face validity makes sense that babies learn
- Learning theory applied to human attachment behaviour is seen as environmentally reductionist. Behaviourists argue complex interactions between caregivers and their infants are just the result of simplistic stimulus associations, learnt responses and patterns of reinforcement. Most parents would say their relationship with their children is more complicated, and they consciously choose to care for their infants.
More A03 learning theory negative
- learning theories applied to human feelings of attachment seen as environmentally r very reductionist too simple
- harlows monkey is COUNTER ARGU research on monkeys goes against learning theory as attached to comfort which wasn’t necessary for comfort so wasn’t instinctual
- alternate theories suggest we don’t depend on learning theory- bowlbys mono tropic theory shows we have innate instinctual drive to form attachment to PCG
Go over diff stimulus in classical conditioning
