Chapter 11: Attachment to Others and Development of Self

Question 1

adult attachment models

Answer 1

working models of attachment in adulthood that are believed to be based on adults’ perceptions of their own childhood experiences–especially their relationships with their parents–and of the influence of these experiences on them as adults

Question 2

attachment theory

Answer 2

theory based on John Bowlby’s work that posits that children are biologically predisposed to develop attachments with caregivers as a means of increasing the chances of their own survival

Question 3

attachment

Answer 3

an emotional bond with a specific person that is enduring across space and time. Usually, attachments are discussed in regard to the relation between infants and specific caregivers, although they can also occur in adulthood

Question 4

disorganized/disoriented attachment

Answer 4

a type of insecure attachment in which infants or young children have no consistent way of coping with the stress of the Strange Situation. Their behavior is often confused or even contradictory, and they often appear dazed or disoriented

Question 5

ethnic identity

Answer 5

individuals’ sense of belonging to an ethnic or racial group, including the degree to which they associate their thinking, perceptions, feelings, and behavior with membership in that group

Question 6

foreclosure status

Answer 6

a category of identity status in which the individual is not engaged in any identity experimentation and has established a vocational or ideological identity based on the choices or values of others

Question 7

identity achievement

Answer 7

an integration of various aspects of the self into a coherent whole that is stable over time and across events

Question 8

identity confusion

Answer 8

an incomplete and sometimes incoherent sense of self that often occurs in Erikson’s stage of identity versus identity confusion

Question 9

identity foreclosure

Answer 9

premature commitment to an identity without adequate consideration of other options

Question 10

identity versus identity confusion

Answer 10

the psychosocial stage of development, described by Erikson, that occurs during adolescence. During this stage, the adolescent or young adult either develops an identity or experiences an incomplete and sometimes incoherent sense of self

Question 11

identity-achievement status

Answer 11

a category of identity status in which, after a period of exploration, the individual has achieved a coherent and consolidated identity based on personal decisions regarding occupation, ideology, and the like. The individual believes that these decisions were made autonomously and is committed to them

Question 12

identity-diffusion status

Answer 12

a category of identity status in which the individual does not have firm commitments and is not making progress toward them

Question 13

imaginary audience

Answer 13

the belief, stemming from adolescent egocentrism, that everyone else is focused on the adolescent’s appearance and behavior

Question 14

insecure attachment

Answer 14

a pattern of attachment in which infants or young children have a less positive attachment to their caregiver than do securely attached children. Insecurely attached children can be classified as insecure/resistant (ambivalent), insecure/avoidant, or disorganized/disoriented

Question 15

insecure/avoidant attachment

Answer 15

a type of insecure attachment in which infants or young children seem somewhat indifferent toward their caregiver and may even avoid the caregiver. In the Strange Situation, they seem indifferent toward their caregiver before the caregiver leaves the room and indifferent or avoidant when the caregiver returns. If the infant gets upset when left alone, he or she is as easily comforted by a stranger as by a parent

Question 16

insecure/resistant (or ambivalent) attachment

Answer 16

a type of insecure attachment in which infants or young children are clingy and stay close to their caregiver rather than exploring their environment. In the Strange Situation, insecure/resistant infants tend to get very upset when the caregiver leaves them alone in the room, and they are not readily comforted by strangers. When their caregiver returns, they are not easily comforted and both seek comfort and resist efforts by the caregiver to comfort them

Question 17

internal working model of attachment

Answer 17

the child’s mental representation of the self, of attachment figure(s), and of relationships in general that is constructed as a result of experiences with caregivers. The working model guides children’s interactions with caregivers and other people in infancy and at older ages

Question 18

moratorium status

Answer 18

a category of identity status in which the individual is in the phase of experimentation with regard to occupational and ideological choices and has not yet made a clear commitment to them

Question 19

negative identity

Answer 19

identity that stands in opposition to what is valued by people around the adolescent

Question 20

parental sensitivity

Answer 20

an important factor contributing to the security of an infant’s attachment. Parental sensitivity can be exhibited in a variety of ways, including responsive caregiving when an infant is distressed or upset and engaging in coordinated play with the infant

Question 21

personal fable

Answer 21

a form of adolescent egocentrism that involves beliefs in the uniqueness of one’s own feelings and thoughts

Question 22

psychosocial moratorium

Answer 22

a time-out during which the adolescent is not expected to take on adult roles and can instead pursue activities that may lead to self-discovery

Question 23

secure attachment

Answer 23

a pattern of attachment in which infants or young children have a high-quality, relatively unambivalent relationship with their attachment figure. In the Strange Situation, a securely attached infant, for example, may be upset when the caregiver leaves but may be happy to see the caregiver return, recovering quickly from any distress. When children are securely attached, they can use caregivers as a secure base for exploration

Question 24

secure base

Answer 24

refers to the idea that the presence of a trusted caregiver provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the child to explore the environment

Question 25

self

Answer 25

a conceptual system made up of one’s thoughts and attitudes about oneself

Question 26

self-esteem

Answer 26

one’s overall evaluation of the worth of the self and the feelings that this evaluation engenders

Question 27

sexual orientation

Answer 27

a person’s preference in regard to males or females as objects of erotic feelings

Question 28

sexual-minority youth

Answer 28

young people who experience same-sex attractions and for whom the question of personal sexual identity is often confusing and painful

Question 29

social comparison

Answer 29

the process of comparing aspects of one’s own psychological, behavioral, or physical functioning to that of others in order to evaluate oneself

Question 30

Strange Situation

Answer 30

a procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth to assess infants’ attachment to their primary caregiver