Chapter 6 - connecting with the social world

Question 1

attachment

Answer 1

the strong and enduring emotional bond between a child and a significant other and the processes that create and maintain this long-lasting social relationship

Question 2

specific bond

Answer 2

a bond to a particular individual, usually formed at about 6 to 7 months

Question 3

separation distress

Answer 3

the distress felt by an infant when a specific individual with whom the infant has a specific bond leaves. The infant wants that particular person to come back. Also known as separation anxiety

Question 4

psychosexual development

Answer 4

a series of stages of development proposed by Freud and related to drives, instincts, and sources of pleasure, with a particular focus on sexual desire

Question 5

secure base

Answer 5

the role that a caregiver may play with respect to a securely attached infant, who uses the caregiver as a base from which to explore

Question 6

dependency

Answer 6

a reliance on another for basic physiological needs, such as food and shelter and protection from harm. Attachment and dependency can be largely dissociated

Question 7

attachment complex

Answer 7

the set of behaviors and mental states that, taken together, are responsible for setting up and maintaining attachment

Question 8

oxytocin

Answer 8

a hormone that leads to increased levels of trust and nurturance to members of one’s group

Question 9

still face

Answer 9

an impassive, straight face shown by a caregiver in the still-face task, in which the caregiver abruptly stops interacting with an infant and breaks the normal cycle of social interaction by showing unresponsive facial expressions

Question 10

social referencing

Answer 10

the use of the emotional and social states of others as information on how to interpret a situation

Question 11

joint attention

Answer 11

the situation in which two people are jointly attending to an object and are aware that they are both doing so

Question 12

attachment style

Answer 12

a pattern of relating to significant others baed on expectations about how they will respond and affecting perceptions, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in close relationships

Question 13

strange situation

Answer 13

a series of laboratory episodes developed by Mary Ainsworth and used to measure the kind of attachment a child shows to a parent. The method examines an infant’s reactions to unusual, mildly threatening situations in the presence of a parent and when the parent has left the room, as well as how the child responds when the parent returns

Question 14

insecure/avoidant attachment

Answer 14

a attachment style in which infants not only avoid or fail to initiate interactions with the mother after a reunion, but also show less visible anxiety when in the absence of the mother

Question 15

secure attachment

Answer 15

an attachment style in which infants show some distress when the mother leaves, but not an excessive amount, and show positive affect when she returns. They also show substantial exploratory behavior in the presence of the mother, using her as a secure base

Question 16

insecure/resistant attachment

Answer 16

an attachment style in which infants show elevated anxiety in the absence of the mother and often try to vigorously prevent her from leaving. They may also show distress and anger when the mother returns while nonetheless clinging to her. In the presence of a mother and a stranger, they may explore minimally and be quite clingy. Also known as anxious attachment

Question 17

disorganized attachment

Answer 17

an attachment style marked by less consistency across situations and characterizied by combinations of both insecure and controlling behaviors. Infants showing this style may have a higher incidence of psychopathology in later life

Question 18

indiscriminate attachment

Answer 18

an attachment style in which infants are as affectionate and receptive to complete strangers as they are to their primary caregivers

Question 19

internal working model

Answer 19

a mental representation of the self and others and how they might interact in different circumstances