Attatchment

Question 1

Define attachment

Answer 1

an emotional tie between two people

Question 2

Define reciprocity

Answer 2

an infant responds to the actions of another person in the form of turn-taking

Question 3

Define interactional synchrony

Answer 3

infants mirror the actions or emotions of another person (doing the same thing at the same time)

Question 4

Meltzoff and Moore study

Answer 4

synchrony in infants:
an adult displayed 1/3 facial expressions
a dummy was placed in the mouth to prevent facial expressions
results: clear association between the infant’s behaviour and the adult model. Later found the same results in 3-day infants.
conclusion: interactional synchrony is innate

Question 5

What are Schaffer’s 4 stages of attachment?

Answer 5

Asocial
Indiscriminate attachment
Discriminate attachment
Multiple attachments

Question 6

Asocial attachment

Answer 6

-from birth to two months
-shows similar responses to objects and people

Question 7

Indiscriminate attachments

Answer 7

-2-6 months
-preference for human company
-don’t show stranger anxiety yet

Question 8

Discriminate attachments

Answer 8

-7-12 months
-preference for one caregiver (security and protection)
-display stranger anxiety

Question 9

Multiple attachments

Answer 9

-one year onwards
-attachment behaviour displayed towards several people
eg siblings and grandparents (secondary attachments)

Question 10

Outline Schaffer and Emerson’s study

Answer 10

Examine the formation of early attachment types
60 babies, ages between 5-23 weeks, working class, Glasgow, visited at home, visited at 12 months then 18 months, interviewed mothers in relation to separation and stranger anxiety.
results: at 25-32 weeks 50% showed separation anxiety expected at the discriminate stage
40 weeks 30% had multiple attachments
conclusion: suggests that attachment develops through a series of stages across the first year of life

Question 11

Role of the father (playmate)

Answer 11

Geiger: fathers take on the role of a ‘playmate rather than a primary caregiver. Mothers were more affectionate and nurturing.

Question 12

Role of father (biological)

Answer 12

Hrdy: biological explanation - fathers are less able to detect low levels of infant stress due to a lack of oestrogen. They aren’t innately equipped to form close attachments.

Question 13

Advantages of using animals to research attachment?

Answer 13

There is a biological similarity
more ethical they breed faster than humans