Caregiver Interactions, Stages, Multiple Attachments

Question 1

Define attachment.

Answer 1

A close emotional bond between two individuals - a two way process that endures over time. Each individual sees the other as essential for their emotional wellbeing.

Question 2

What do individuals show when an attachment has developed?

Answer 2

Proximity seeking behaviour, separation anxiety, and secure-base behaviour.

Question 3

Define reciprocity.

Answer 3

Turn taking behaviour that takes place during a conversation. The behaviour of one person results in a response from the other person. Eg. Caregiver coos and infant laughs. It is the foundation of a secure attachment as it allows the caregiver to anticipate the infants response and respond appropriately and sensitively.

Question 4

Define interactional synchrony

Answer 4

Coordinated behaviour we see between an infant and caregiver. It is broader than reciprocity as it focuses on behaviour and emotions. They are said to be in tune with each other. Behaviours are often mirrored. Eg when a caregiver smiles and an infant smiles back

Question 5

Describe research into caregiver interactions

Answer 5

Meltzoff and Moore: interactional synchrony. Controlled observation, adults displayed one of 3 facial expressions or hand movements. Dummy In infants mouth to prevent response then removed and response was filmed. Judged by independent observer who made notes. They found an association between infant behaviour and that or the adult model in infants as young as 3 days old.

Question 6

Give one strength of research into caregiver interactions.

Answer 6

Controlled observations and filmed responses allowing good close analysis of fine details. Babies not affected by demand characteristics bc they don’t know/ care about observation. Accurate and trustworthy.

Question 7

Give a criticism of research into caregiver infant interactions.

Answer 7

One study found Infants can’t distinguish live
From videotaped interactions of their mothers. Challenges previous findings suggesting infants don’t actually respond to adults actions.

Question 8

Give 2 issues of caregiver infant interactions.

Answer 8

Methodological issues w the research - facial expressions change frequently at this age so researchers might not have been measuring interactional synchrony. Difficult to distinguish between general activity and imitated behaviours

Socially sensitive - suggests infants social development may be disadvantaged if they lack opportunity for interactional synchrony (eg mother goes back to work).

Question 9

Describe research into stages of attachment.

Answer 9

Schaffer and Emerson
60 infants from working class families for their first year (longitudinal)
Mothers visited monthly and asked to report infants response to separation in 7 every day situations, such as being left alone or w others. They also reported any protest from infant on these occasions by rating it on a scale and to whom the protest was directed
Findings used to describe how attachment develops. 4 stages identified
quality of relationship and interactions that are important to form strong emotional bonds and healthy attachments not the quantity.

Question 10

What are the 4 stages of attachment as identified by Schaffer ?

Answer 10

1. Asocial
2. Indiscriminate attachment
3. Specific attachment
4. Multiple attachment

Question 11

Describe stage 1 of attachment.

Answer 11

Asocial
0-2 months
Infants respond the same way to all objects. Towards the end of this period they begin to show a preference for social stimuli (eg a smiling face) and seem to be more content w people.

Question 12

Describe stage 2 of attachment.

Answer 12

Indiscriminate attachment
2-4 months
Infants become more social, enjoy being with people. As well as being able to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects they also recognise familiar people. They don’t show preference for anyone in particular and are happy in presence of strangers.

Question 13

Describe stage 3 of attachment.

Answer 13

Specific attachment
4-7 months
The infants begin to demonstrate separation anxiety when left by a particular person and experience joy on their return. They have formed a specific attachment to the primary attachment figure and are most comforted by them. They also begin to display stranger anxiety. Not necessarily person who spends most time w them but who responds most sensitively to their needs.

Question 14

Describe stage 4 of attachment.

Answer 14

Multiple attachments.
7+ months
Shortly after the main attachment is established, the infant develops a wider circle or multiple attachments. Eg grandparents and siblings. They can be identified by the separation anxiety that occurs when left by these people. By the age of 1 year the majority of infants have developed multiple attachments.

Question 15

Give a strength of the stages of attachment research.

Answer 15

Study took place in families own homes and observations were done by parents. This means babies behaviour wouldn’t be affected by research environment or researchers so observed behaviour prob natural

Question 16

Give 2 criticisms of the stages of attachment research.

Answer 16

Self report method issue - mothers response may not have been accurate eg overemphasised certain reactions - data not accurate

Biased sample. Study including working class mothers so not representative.

Question 17

Give 2 issues of the stages of attachment research.

Answer 17

Cultural bias - western individualist cultures. In collectivist cultures there is more emphasis on the group so child care is often shared - stages not universal

Socially sensitive eg single attachments come before multiple but in some cultures multiple is first - unfairly and inaccurately label families as abnormal

Question 18

What are 3 theories of multiple attachments?

Answer 18

Primary attachments are vital - bowlby

Multiple attachments are possible - Schaffer

Multiple attachments to grandparents are beneficial (study)

Question 19

Describe what Bowlby meant by primary attachments are vital.

Answer 19

He suggested that a single primary attachment is vital for healthy psychological development of a child. He emphasised the role of the mother but he was working in the 50s (stereotypical views). He viewed the fathers main role as emotional support and financial support. Lacks temporal validity.

Question 20

Describe why schaffer thought multiple attachments were possible.

Answer 20

Argued that they could form multiple attachments and mothers and fathers both had an important role. Many of the babies in their study had multiple attachments by 10 months. By 18 months, 31% had 5 or more attachments. The mother was main attachment figure in about half and father for most of others. Attachments are often structured by hierarchy where they have 3 but 1 is stronger than the other 2.

Question 21

Describe the study into how multiple attachments with grandparents is beneficial.

Answer 21

Research has shown that depressed mothers often have inconsistent responses to child’s needs and are less engaged in interaction. Their children were more likely to show depression as adults. But research showed the stronger the attachment of the grandchild to grandparent the less likely the child would experience depression in adulthood.

Question 22

Briefly describe how the role of the father can be considered less important than the role of the mother.

Answer 22

• do form secure attachments but fathers less likely to be primary attachment figures
• social factors: cultural expectations of men (feminine to be caring) and commitments at work
• mothers more likely to stay at home in first years of life (work leave eg)
• biological factors: mothers produce oestrogen and oxytocin which elicits caregiving behaviour and men produce very little so generally women more nurturing than men, and fathers less sensitive to infant cues than mothers which is important in attachments.

Question 23

Give a strength of the argument that the father plays a less important role than the mother.

Answer 23

Hardy found that fathers were less able to detect low levels of infant stress than mothers. Supports claims as it means they’re less capable of providing sensitive and nurturing type of attachment.

Question 24

Give a criticism of the argument that the role of the father is less important than the mother.

Answer 24

Field research compared the behaviours of primary caregiver mothers w primary and secondary caregiver fathers.
Face to face interactions analysed from video footage w infants at 4months.
Primary caregiver mothers spent more time smiling imitating and holding infants than fathers which are important behaviours in forming attachments
Concluded it is the level of responsiveness not the gender of the parent that influences attachment.

Question 25

Describe the argument that fathers are as important as mothers but their roles are different. (3)

Answer 25

• Grossman - longitudinal study of 44 families which correlated parents behaviour and quality of attachment in teens. The quality of the fathers play was related to quality of attachment in adolescence. Fathers tended to be more physically active and better at providing challenging situations/encouraging problem solving and communication. Fathers role may be to do with play and simulation rather than nurturing.
• Fathers set clearer boundaries and teach them to respect boundaries (research suggests).
• Children w/o fathers do less well at school and show high levels of risk taking and aggression suggesting a different role in development.

Question 26

Give a strength of the argument that fathers have a different role to mothers.

Answer 26

Study about type of interaction (play) and attachment in teens

Question 27

Give a criticism of the argument that fathers have a role in attachment that is different to mothers.

Answer 27

Many factors influence the role that the father plays. Eg cultural, socio-economic, quality of interaction and strength of parents relationship. These factors make it hard to generalise about the fathers role. Rather than identifying a specific role it might be more useful to see the roles as complementary