attachments - everything Flashcards
what are Schaffer’s stages of attachments
asocial, indiscriminate, specific and multiple
what is the asocial stage
- first few weeks
- babies respond in the same way to humans and objects
what is indiscriminate attachment
- 2-6 months
- preference for familiar people
- no stranger/separation anxiety
what is specific attachment
- 7 months
- one primary attachment figure
- 65% with mother, 3% with father (27% with both)
what is multiple attachment
- from 8 months +
- by 12 months most babies have multiple attachments e.g 75% have attachment with fathers by 18 months
who found the stages of attachment
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
What was Schaffer and Emersons procedure
Longitudinal study,
60 Glaswegian babies observed at home (largely) by mothers,
recorded infants separation distress and stranger anxiety in diary
What did Schaffer and Emerson find
stages of attachment
sensitive responsiveness - attachment was to caregiver who responded appropriately to signals, not the one who fed them
2 limitations for Schaffer and Emerson
- difficult to asses multiple attachments (infant distress doesn’t necessarily signify attachment)
- hard to study asocial babies (poor coordination so may just seem asocial)
2 strengths for Schaffer and Emerson
- high external validity (no demand characteristics as babies, and parents did observing so behaviour was natural)
- longitudinal/repeated measures (no participant variables, high internal validity)
who are the two main psychologists for role of the father
Grossman and Field
What was Grossmans procedure
Longitudinal study following 44 families from infancy to 16 years old. Assessed quality of attachments at 6, 10, 16
What were Grossmans findings
Fathers’ play sensitivity is a better predictor of the child’s long-term attachment representation than the early infant–father security of attachment
other key ideas for role of the father
Infant-mother attachment is more crucial in later teen attachments than infant-father attachment
what did field find
Fathers can be primary caregivers.
Caregiver-infant interactions filmed and compared.
PCG Fathers adopt behaviours typical of mothers. E.g. More time smiling and holding
Key to attachment is responsiveness of adult (e.g. smiling) not gender
limitations for role of father - McCallum and Gollombok)
- no distinct role, children without fathers are no different so secondary attachment may be unimportant
limitation for role of father - biology
- hormones may predispose women to be nurturing thus making mothers more likely to be primary attachment figures
limitation for role of the father - Schaffer and Emerson
found that gender and learning were unimportant in forming attachment, responsiveness to the child’s needs was the most important
strength for role of the father
- economic implications, Fathers have important (but different) role so may want to stay home longer (Grossman). Mothers may feel freer to return to work and leave fathers at home
what is interactional synchrony
- baby and mother mirror actions and emotions at the same time (coordinated)
- Meltzoff and Moore showed this at two weeks old
- higher synchrony linked to better quality attachment (Isabella et al)
what is reciprocity
- caregiver and infant respond to each other’s signals, like a conversation, 3+ months
- each elicits a response from each other
key study for caregiver-infant interactions
Meltzoff and Moore (1977)
What was Meltzoff and Moores procedure
Adult displayed one of three facial expressions, e.g. tongue protrusion. Child and adult filmed from multiple angles. Watched in slow motion
What were Meltzoff and Moores findings
Clear association between expression and action of the child
3 limitations for Meltzoff and Moore
- hard to investigate infant behaviour (practical issues e.g naps and also can’t tell if behaviour has meaning)
- no purpose concluded (Feldman)
- socially sensitive (implications for mothers returning to work – should someone stay at home to ensure good reciprocity)
2 strengths for Meltzoff and Moore
- well controlled procedures (filmed in slow mo from multiple angles, good validly)
- value to society (could be used to improve mother-infant interactions in at risk groups)
What are the two Animal studies in attachments
Lorenz (1952) and Harlow (1958)
What was Lorenz’s procedure
12 goose eggs, six saw mother within hours
of hatching, six hatched in incubator and saw Lorenz
What was Lorenz’s findings
goslings followed whichever was the first moving object they saw within 12-18 hours (imprinting). First bond affected mating preferences in later life (sexual imprinting). This was permanent / irreversible
What was Lorenz’s conclusion
imprinting occurs in critical period, no attachment if outside that time
2 limitations for Lorenz
- generalising from birds to humans is doubtful (attachment systems different in mammals
- Guiton et al, disproves sexual imprinting being permanent, chickens changed preferences
supporting evidence for Lorenz
Guiton et al found chicks imprinted on washing up gloves (first large moving thing they saw)
What was Harlow’s procedure
16 Rhesus monkeys raised with ‘surrogate mothers’. Provides food or cloth-covered. Observed for 165 days. Also exposed to fearful stimulus
What did Harlow find
Infants preferred cloth-covered mother to wire one with milk. Critical period of 90 days, there were long term effects on later relationships and behaviour if missed, e.g. violent and issues mating
What was Harlows conclusion
contact comfort’ more important than food in attachment
3 limitations for Harlow
- ethical issues (suffering of infant monkeys bad as they’re human like )
- generalisation (Better than geese but human communication influences attachment)
- lacking internal validity (in early experiments faces on monkeys were different)
strengths for Harlow
- real life application (Showed importance of attachment (e.g. abuse)
