Characteristics of an attachment

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

Schaffer, a close emotional bond between 2 people characterised by mutual affection and a desire to maintain closeness

Question 2

Maintaining proximity

Answer 2

Infant wants to be physically close to primary attachment figure

Seeks involvement by wanting to include their carer in their activities (or vice versa)

Question 3

Separation anxiety

Answer 3

Intense distress shown by infant when primary attachment figure isnt present

Question 4

Joy on reunion

Answer 4

Securely attached infants show visible pleasure on being reunited with PAF after period of separation

Easily comforted and will quickly resume play when PAF is close

Question 5

Stranger anxiety

Answer 5

Intense distress shown by infant in response to strangers

Question 6

Secure base

Answer 6

Ainsworth, primary attachment figure acts as a secure base

Infant demonstrates confidence whilst the primary care giver is present because of the security they provide

Question 7

Sensitive responsiveness

Answer 7

Ainsworth, a secure attachment develops through sensitive responsiveness

This is where the primary care giver responds consistently and sensitively to the infants needs

Question 8

Stage 1

Answer 8

Asocial

0-6 weeks

Question 9

Stage 1 desc

Answer 9

Initially infants show similar responses to both people and objects

Very rapidly, infants begin to show a bias towards human-like stimuli by attending more to faces and eyes

They quickly learn to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar people through smell and voice

Question 10

Stage 2

Answer 10

Indiscriminate attachment

7w-1m

Question 11

Stage 2 desc

Answer 11

Infants become more sociable, preferring people to objects

They begin to distinguish between different people

Infants dont show signs of stranger or separation anxiety at this stage

Question 12

Stage 3

Answer 12

Specific attachment

7m+

Question 13

Stage 3 desc

Answer 13

Infants develop a specific attachment with their primary care giver

This stage starts with development of separation anxiety

Stranger anxiety generally develops 1m after development of separation anxiety

Question 14

Stage 4

Answer 14

Multiple attachments

10-11m +

Question 15

Stage 4 desc

Answer 15

Infants begin to show attachment behaviours towards several different people, including siblings, grandparents and childminders

Question 16

Stages of development

Answer 16

Schaffer and Emerson 1964

Theory suggested that the primary care giver was usually the mother and this is who the child first formed an attachment to

In 3% of cases, the father was the first person they formed an attachment to. 75% of infants had formed an attachment to their father by 18 months.

Criticised by more recent research that shows importance of the role of the father

Question 17

Mothers provide

Answer 17

Nurturing, affectionate and emotional care

Educational or imaginative play, such as counting or colour games or dressing up

Source of comfort when distressed

Caretaking activities such as brushing hair or cleaning teeth

Supports infants in their emotional, social and cognitive development

Question 18

Fathers provide

Answer 18

Less likely to provide type of care more often provided by mother

Active, physically stimulating, rough-and-tumble play such as chasing, wrestling and swinging

Supports infants in the development of their confidence and their ability to assess risks

Question 19

Attachment with father is important

Answer 19

Idea that the role of father is as important in childrens development has supporting research from Verissimo (2011)

Who found that the quality of the attachment between infants and fathers positively correlated with the number of friends a child has at pre-school

The fathers attachment seemed to be more important than the mothers attachment in this respect

Suggesting that the father has a unique influence on infants development

Question 20

Attachment with father not

Answer 20

Grossman (2002) found that fathers had an important role in their childrens develoment involving play and stimulation

However, the idea of the role of the father not being important in childrens development has supporting research from McCallum and Golombok (2004)

Who found children in same sex or single parent families develop no differently to those in traditional two-parent households

This suggests that the father is not a unique influence on a infants development or can be substituted by another “father figure” who is not necessarily a man

Question 21

Operationalising the role of the father

Answer 21

Research into the role of the father cares in how it operationalises this role

This means conclusions drawn from different studies must be viewed with caution

This is because some research tries to understand the father as a secondary attachment figure and view it as a unique figure different to the mother, whilst others measure the father as a primary attachment figure which can act as a substitute to the role traditionally played by the mother

Therefore, answering the question what is the role of the father is a complicated one

Question 22

Implications for the economy

Answer 22

As some research suggests the father does play an important and unique role in the development of infants, there may be implications for the economy

This means government and business may need to make changes to paternity leave and be more flexible when in the working hours of fathers

The 2015 shared parental leave act means that either the mother, father or adopted parents can share the leave offered to them by law to care for their child rather than this being just 2 weeks for the father

Additionally, fathers may choose to work less hours than before meaning they will contribute less in taxes meaning the government has less money to fund other services

This shows that changing norms based on existing studies can have wider implications that go beyond the conclusions of research