Child development

Question 1

What is the attachment theory?

Answer 1

Early life experiences strongly influence later adult functioning and vulnerability to psychopathology- secure vs insecure attachment

Question 2

Who made the attachment theory?

Answer 2

John Bowlby

Question 3

Who classified aged 18-25 as an emerging adult?

Answer 3

Jeffrey Arnett

Question 4

What occurs during aged 18-25 as an emerging adult?

Answer 4

Re-evaluation of parent-child relationship: autonomy, switches from role of a dependent to a fellow adult

Question 5

What is secure attachment?

Answer 5

Positive internal working models and emotion regulation ability.

Question 6

What are the stages of attachment?

Answer 6

1. 0-2 months pre-attachment
2. 2-7 months attachment-in-the-making
3. 7-24 months clear-cut attachment
4. 24 months+ goal-corrected partnership
   stranger anxiety ~ 10 months
   separation distress ~ 12 months

Question 7

Who came up with the stages of attachment?

Answer 7

John Bowlby

Question 8

What are the practical consequences of attachment?

Answer 8

Effects of separation during childhood- hospital care, effects of divorce/bereavement

Effects of failure to achieve early secure attachment- for adult relationships, psychological health and well being

Question 9

What is the function of attachment?

Answer 9

Helpless infant- mutual responsiveness. Attachment grows, exploration grows and then eventually so does autonomy.

Question 10

Who studies monkeys to see want food or care giving and companionship?

Answer 10

Harlow and Harlow

Question 11

What are the key maternal qualities the monkeys wanted?

Answer 11

• Food
• Warmth
• Contact

Question 12

What are the characteristics of attachment in young children?

Answer 12

Attachments in young children:

1. are selective
2. involve physical proximity seeking
3. provide comfort and security
4. produce separation distress

Question 13

Who came up with ‘the strange situation’ where you study didn’t type of attachment

Answer 13

Ainsworth

Question 14

What is secure attachment?

Answer 14

Secure- child stays quite close to mum; upset by leaving her; greets positively

Question 15

What is insecure (avoidant attachment)?

Answer 15

Insecure (avoidant)- avoids contact with mum on reunion; OK when left with stranger

Question 16

What is insecure (resistant attachment)?

Answer 16

Very upset by mum leaving; return difficult to console; both seeks comfort and resists

Question 17

What are the categorisations at 12 months of attachment?

Answer 17

Secure, insecure (avoidant; resistant), disorganised

Question 18

What is the internal working model?

Answer 18

Mental representation of relationship with primary care giver which becomes a template for future relationships, allow individuals to process and control external world

Question 19

How does the primary care’s behaviour affect a child’s internal working model?

Answer 19

Caregiver (maternal) sensitivity:
• perceive/interpret signals/communication in infant’s behaviour and respond
• concept vs the scale

Mind-mindedness:
• caregivers’ tendency to treat their children as individuals with minds to their own; enabling caregivers to ‘tune in’ to what their infants may be thinking or feeling
• appropriate vs non-attuned behaviour

Question 20

How does attachment continue into adulthood?

Answer 20

Secure in adults- comfortable in relationships and able to seek support from partner

Avoidant now becomes dismissive- greater sense of autonomy, tend to cut themselves off emotionally from a partner

Resistant now becomes a fear of rejection and a strong desire to maintain closeness.

Question 21

What is sure start?

Answer 21

Children centres looking after disadvantaged children

Question 22

Mirroring expression- what is it?

Answer 22

Even at 12 hours old, baby will mirror expression of primary caregiver showing development of attachment. Reciprocal response. There is evidence that a foetus develops attachment to mother.