Chapter 3 - Attachment

Question 1

What did Bowlby suggest about attachment?

Answer 1

Bowlby suggested that early attachment are a basis for our future relationships

And that we view our future relationships on our early relationships because that all we have to base it on.

Question 2

What is the definition of attachment?

Answer 2

An emotional relationship between to people characterised by proximity seeking and resulting in the feeling of security when in teh presence of each other

Question 3

What is proximity?

Answer 3

Physical closeness

Question 4

What is secure base behaviour?

Answer 4

Even when independent infants will regularly return to their attachment figure

Question 5

What is separation anxiety?

Answer 5

Visible distress when an attachment figure leaves

Question 6

What are the 2 types of caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 6

Reciprocity
Interactional Synchrony

Question 7

What is reciprocity?

Answer 7

If baby and mum spend a lot of time reacting then they will develop a reciprocal interaction by 3 months and means they elicit a response from them

‘Turn-taking’

Question 8

What is Interactional synchrony?

Answer 8

A simultaneous action
It’s a rhythmic interaction that both teh caregiver and infant mirror each other in a synchronised way.

‘Simultaneous action’

Question 9

Summaries the study carried out by Metzoff and Moore?

Answer 9

1983

• conducted the first research into Interactional synchrony.In infants as young as 2 weeks were able to imitate facial expressions of adult, which shows their ability to mirror is innate behaviour

Question 10

Summaries the stud carried out by Isabella et al?

Answer 10

1991

• observing 30 mothers and infants together and assessed the degree of synchrony.They found higher levels of synchrony associated with better quality mother-infant attachment

Question 11

What is the evaluation for the introduction of attachement?

Answer 11

• we don’t know hat is happening when observing the infants

+ controlled observations capture the fine details

• observations dont tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity

Question 12

What are the stages of attachment?

Answer 12

Stage 1 - Asocial stage - 0 to 6 weeks - babies are beginning to see the differences between humans and non humans, they start to prefer familiar people and objects

Stage 2 - Indiscriminate stage - 2 to 7 months - babies become more sociable and prefer human company. They can be comforted by anyone

Stage 3 - Specific attachments - 7 to 11 months - babies form a main attachment and they start to show separation and stranger anxiety

Stage 4 - Multiple attachments - 12 months onwards - babies can form multiple attachments these can all serve different purposes

Question 13

Evaluation of Schaffer and Emersons stages of attachments?

Answer 13

+ high ecological validity

-observer bias

-lacks temporal validity

• culture bias so can’t be generalised

Question 14

What is the difference between caregivers and attachment figure?

Answer 14

A primary caregiver is the person who spends the most time with the baby and caring for its needs

A primary attachment figure is teh person who the baby has teh strongest attachment to

Not always the same person but can be

Question 15

Who is the father to the baby?

Answer 15

The closet male caregiver (if their isn’t a father present)

Question 16

What are the statistics?

Answer 16

Schaffer and Emerson found that babies became attached to mum at 7 months

3% the father was the sole object
27% found mother and father were joint attachment