Development of attachment (Social) Flashcards
Define attachment according to Ainsworth.
An affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one.
What attachment bond specifically are psychologists interested in?
An attachment bond between a baby and their carer. (Mother-baby bond)
What are the three main areas to consider when looking at development of babies?
-Theories of attachment: Why we form them.
-Types of attachment we form with main carer.
-Stages of attachment: How they change over time.
What are the two main theories of attachment?
Behaviourist theory
Evolutionary theory
Behaviourist theory
Babies are born a blank slate, and learn attachment through operant/classical conditioning and Social learning theory
Evolutionary theory
Attachment behaviour has evolved over time to ensure survival.
What is Cupboard love theory?
Where the infants’s instinctual needs such as food, security etc, are met by the mother. This makes the infant desire their mother. Process of gratification
Explain how research by Harlow disproves cupboard love theory.
Given a choice, baby rhesus monkeys would choose to spend time with a cuddly surrogate mother made of wire compared to one that fed them. If monkey was scared, it would go to the cuddly monkey not the feeding one.
Is Bowlby a behaviourist or evolutionary theorist?
An evolutionary theorist, inspired by psychodynamic approach
What is Drive theory?
Babies are born with innate drives such as hunger, that only the mother can reduce. By classical conditioning, the baby associates satisfaction with the mother
Bowlby’s theory of attachment
Attachment was an innate behaviour used to ensure the survival of the baby. They need to bond quickly with their mother to ensure their survival, which is important when the infant is so dependent on others for its care.
Who was Bowlby’s attachment theory influenced by?
Lorenz
What did Lorenz find with attachment?
He focused on attachment in geese. Found that birds would imprint on first living thing they saw after hatching.
How does research by Bushnell et al (2011) prove Bowlby’s theory?
Confirms that neonate babies can recognise it’s mother’s face based on visual stimuli alone. This supports Bowlby’s view that there is some innate ability as the basis of baby-carer attachment.
What reason does Bowlby suggest for newborn babies needing to bond with their mother?
To ensure their survival. Important when infant is dependent on others for care.
What evidence is there for attachment behaviours being considered innate?
MRI scans of mothers brains which show certain areas of the mothers brain respond to social releasers from their own baby, but not to other babies.
Define the term bonding?
Refers to skin to skin contact, nothing to do with attachment.
What study shows the correlation between skin-to-skin bonding and breastfeeding?
Thurkral (2012)
Outline Thurkral’s study into bonding.
Found that babies who had skin-to-skin contact with their mother. for two hours directly after birth showed higher levels of exclusive breastfeeding at both 48 hours and 6 weeks.
How many types of parent-infant attachment are there?
4
What are the four types of parent -infant attachment?
-Secure,
-Insecure avoidant,
-Insecure resistant,
-Insecure disorganised.
What is the carer’s response to child’s needs in the Secure type of attachment?
Sensitive and loving, such as picking up and reassuring a child.
What are is the key child behaviour in Secure attachment?
Seeks proximity of caregiver.
What is the carer’s response to child’s needs in the Insecure Avoidant type of attachment?
Insensitive and rejecting, such as ridiculing or becoming annoyed.
What is the key child behaviour in Insecure Avoidant attachment?
Avoids caregiver in times of need
What is the carer’s response to child’s needs in the Insecure Resistant type of attachment
Insensitive and inconsistent, such as overreacting or highlighting carer’s own needs
What is the key child behaviour in Insecure Resistant attachment?
Exaggerates distress and anger to ensure caregiver notices.
Who found the fourth type of attachment: Insecure Disorganised?
Main and Solomon (1986)
What is the carer’s response to child’s needs in the Insecure Disorganised type of attachment?
Insensitive and not normal such as frightening or frightened, or sexualised. Not always shown when the child is distressed (Linked to parents own traumas)
What is the key child behaviours in the Insecure Disorganised attachment?
Bizarre and contradictory behaviour such as freezing or running away from parent.
Who carried out a study to identify the different stages of attachment?
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
Explain Schaffer and Emerson’s study into the identify the different stages of attachment.
Longitudinal study on 60 babies, monthly intervals to 18 months. Identified stages of attachment from observing infant-carer interactions.
What are the stages of attachment according to Schaffer and Emerson?
0-3 months: Indiscriminate attachments
4-7 months: Specific attachments
7-9 months: Single figure attachments
9+ months: Multiple attachments.
What is sensitive responsiveness?
The attachment figure being whoever responded most accurately to the baby’s signals, not always their mother or whoever they spent the most time with.
What are Bowlby’s 4 stages of attachment?
Birth-6 weeks: Pre-attachment
6-8 weeks: Making attachment
8-18 months: Clear cut attachment
18 months-2 yrs: Reciprocal attachment
What did Bowlby believe the impact of being able to develop attachments was?
Results in delinquent children
Describe Bowlby’s 1944 study into lack of attachment.
44 juvenile thieves, lived with their parents
-given assessments on intelligence etc, then were interviewed by Bowlby
-He described many of them as having a lack of affection.
Teenagers who had been separated from mother in first two years more likely to show ‘affectionless psychopathy’
What are some negative effects of deprivation (where a bond has been broken)?
Low academic and socio-economic achievements
Bifulco et al (1987) Higher rates of depression after the death of mothers compared to divorce.
Describe Robertson’s study into short term effects of separation from carer.
1948-1952 children between 17 months-3yrs had no contact with parents for up to 2 weeks.
-Found three distinct stages, distress, despair and detachment
Describe the aim of Ainsworth and Bell (1970)’s strange situation study.
To observe attachment behaviour of a child in a lab setting using the strange situation.
Who were the participants of Ainsworth and Bell’s study?
56 children, from white middle class backgrounds.
23 observed from birth.
Other 33 were observed from 49 weeks old. All children were under a year old.
Describe the procedure of Ainsworth and Bell’s study.
-Each child tested individually, room marked into 16 squares for observation every 15s, with toys also available.
-Mother and child enter room,
-The stranger enters after and sits and talks etc for one minute
-Mother leaves after 3 minutes, stranger sits or plays with toys
-If baby becomes distressed stranger tries to comfort.
-Mother stands at door for response, stranger leaves, baby is settled.
-stranger returns again, same process then leaves
-Mother returns
How was behaviour measured in the strange situation?
-Frequency of exploratory behaviour
-Crying behaviour
-Each 15s analysed + given score. Maximum score was 12
Higher ratings for behaviour compared to signalling:
-Proximity seeking and contact maintaining behaviours e.g clinging, approaching
-Proximity avoiding and contact resisting behaviours e.g Ignoring and pushing away.
What were some results of the strange situation?
-Exploratory behaviour decreased when mother left room and baby left with stranger
-Crying happened more the second time the mother left
-Search behaviour increased when child was left alone
-Proximity seeking and contact maintaining seen more when mother returned
-Contact resisting and proximity avoiding behaviours not seen until reuinion.
What are the applications of attachment-friendly environments?
-Robertsons study into children hospitals used as evidence to rethink visiting limitations on parents. Now parents are able to stay nearby the. hospital where their child is
E.g Ronald Mcdonald charity, accommodation near hospitals
-Key person approach in care, someone they can attach to while parent is away e.g nursery worker
