Developmental Psychology Flashcards
What is meant by the term ‘attachment’?
An emotional bond between two people,
e.g. mother and child.
What is the learning theory?
All behaviour is learnt, not innate:
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Learning theory support
Watson- Little Albert
Classical
What is classical conditioning?
Learning by association
Before: US=UR
During: NS+US=UR
After: CS=CR
What is operant conditioning?
Learning by reinforcement
Hunger (drive state) Food (primary reinforcer)
Caregiver associated with reward (secondary reinforcer)
Attachment because caregiver is a source of reward.
Against Learning Theory
Schaffer and Emerson- 60 Glasgow babies
Harlow’s monkeys
Bowlby’s theory
What is Bowlby’s theory?
Innate Internal working model Monotropy Critical period Continuity hypothesis Social releasers
What are the three attachment types?
Secure
Insecure avoidant
Insecure resistant
The Strange Situation
Cultural variation
Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg
Meta Analysis
Institutional care
Tizard and Hodges
Formed close attachments after institutionalisation:
20/21 adopted
6/13 restored
Define Privation
The failure to develop any attachments during early life
Define Deprivation
The loss of emotional care- when an infants caregiver is taken away.
Research into privation
Genie case study
Effects of disruption
Robertson and Robertson
Define Separation
To be physically apart from one’s caregiver
What is the MDH?
If an infant does not develop a continuous relationship with the primary caregiver/ mother then the child will have future problems forming relationships.
Research support for MDH
Bowbly- 44 Thieves
86% of thieves diagnosed as affections psychopaths had experienced early and prolonged separation from their mothers.
Only 17% of other thieves had experienced such separations
4% of control group had experienced frequent early separations.
Cross cultural variation
Takahashi Strange situation with 60 Japanese infants. 68% S 32% IR 0% IA
90% of procedures had to be stopped due to extreme distress.
Impact of daycare on aggression
NICHD
Longitudinal - 1000 children
Age 5- more assertive, disobedient, aggressive
30+ hours= more likely to have behaviour problems: lying, hitting, arguing, tantrums
Impact of daycare on social development
Violates and Russel- meta analysis
88 studies- day care for more than 20hours per week= negative effect on socio-emotional development, behaviour and attachment of young children.
Sylvia et al.
3000 children
Increased independence and sociability.
Impact of daycare on peer relations
Belsky and Rovine
20+ hours/week before age 1 more likely to be insecurely attached.
Field
The amount of time spent in full time daycare is positively correlated to the number of friends child had once they went to school.
