Exam 3 Flashcards

1
Q

Shaver and Mikulincer: How do attachment strategies in adulthood provide feelings of security?

A

They don’t necessarily involve proximity-seeking behavior, but they can be soothing, reassuring mental representations of past experiences with supportive attachment figures.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Shaver and Mikulincer:What are the 2 secondary attachment strategies that adults use to feel secure?

A

1) Hyper activation is manifested in energetic attempts to attain greater proximity, support, and protection, combined w. a lack of confidence that these benefits will be provided
2) Deactivation of the system involves inhibition of proximity-seeking tendencies, denial of attachment needs, maintenance of emotional and cognitive distance from others, and compulsive reliance on oneself as the only reliable source of safety and comfort

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Shaver and Mikulincer:What are the 2 dimensions that define attachment styles?

A

1) Avoidant attachment reflects the extent to which a person distrusts relationship partners’ good will, deactivates his or her attachment system, and strives to maintain behavioral independence and emotional distance from partner
2) Anxious attachment reflects the degree to which a person worries that a partner will not be available in times of need and therefore hyper activates efforts to gain partner’s attention and support

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Shaver and Mikulincer:How do those who have secure attachment histories differ from those who are anxious and avoidant histories in providing effective caregiving?

A

1)They’re comfortable being intimate ad interdependent with others
2)See others as deserving sympathy and support
3)Feel confident about their ability to respond to other people’s needs while effectively regulating their own emotions
Act in a caring, prosocial, and moral manner toward others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Shaver and Mikulincer:What did the Mikulincer, Shaver, Gillath and Nitzberg study reveal about decisions to help a person in distress?

A

Avoidant attachment individuals less willing to help and able to express compassion
Anxious attachment individuals associated w increased personal distress but not necessarily with helping while witnessing another suffer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Shaver and Mikulincer:What’s the difference between authentic morality and defensive morality? Summarize the 2 studies that the authors conducted to explore these two forms of morality.

A

1)Authentic morality manifested by secure people and anchored in a genuine concern for other’s welfare
2)Defensive morality manifested by people who score high on attachment anxiety who have a shaky sense of self-worth and use self-perceived moral behavior as a defense
3)2 studies summarized:
a) Examined the effects of attachment anxiety and threats to the self on moral choices when their self-esteem was threatened than when it was not
b)60 Israeli university students (42F,18M)
-1st session: Participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships(ECR) inventory
-2nd session: Participants performed four cognitive tasks while an ego threat (failure feedback) was imposed on a randomly selected half of them.
I. Threat condition: Participants presented w same four unsolvable problems and told they failed them all.
II. No-threat condition: Participants presented w the same four unsolvable problems but received no feedback concerning their performance
c)All participants presented with four scenarios in which they assessed moral choices// Moral choice was pitted against a financial loss (One involving investing in companies & other breaking the law)
d)Conclusion: Ego threat raised the more anxious individuals’ level of morality to the level characteristic of the less anxious individuals w or w.o. threat
-self-threat can sometimes cause people to make more moral choices & this kind of defensive morality is more characteristic of attachment-anxious people than of relatively secure people who make moral choices w or w.o. a threat.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Coan:Can you list the neural systems that support attachment?

A

Hippocampus, hypothalamus, and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Coan:Is there a one-to-one correspondence between neural circuits and behavioral systems?

A

NO/Neural systems are distributed throughout the brain; similar behaviors may, across individuals, result from different neural system combinations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Coan:Why would dopamine facilitate proximity seeking?

A

Because incentive motivation plays a key role in a # of attachment-related processes (i.e. proximity seeking)/ Tightly linked to the dopamine projection system in the ventral tegmental area(VTA)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Coan:What is the amygdala’s role in forming long-term memories?

A

Amygdala “tags” sensory experiences as significant or salient, and this tagging is prominently represented in long-term memory consolidation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Coan:In what 2 ways is the prefrontal cortex associated with attachment processes?

A

1) Over time, medial orbital circuits may encode conditioned or “automatic” responses to attachment figures related to excitatory or inhibitory responses to threat cues
2) Dorsolateral circuits may modulate cognitive operations associated w attachment figures in reflective, working memory.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Coan:Emotional Constituents in Combination: This section puts several systems together in a really useful way and also offers a “real-world’ example.

A

1) Dopaminergic neurons in the VTA share connections with many regions other than the nucleus accumbens including the:
a) Amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and the PFC
i. These structures form their own distributed networks of often reciprocal influence
2) Real world example: Encounter with an attractive potential mate
a. The encounter initially elicits pleasurable feelings  increase in incentive motivation associated w the partner  amygdala “tags” sensory features of the encounter as salient during the process of memory consolidation, in cooperation w the hippocampus the VTA becomes conditioned to cues associated w the potential mate  Activating incentive motivation circuits early in the “chain of cues”  Increase in likelihood of encountering the potential mate again

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Coan:What roles do the locus coeruleus and the amygdala play in an infant’s tolerance of aversive care from a parent?

A

1) The locus coeruleus releases large amounts of norepinephrine (neurotransmitter: transmitting a signal from one neuron to another neuron or muscle cell) early in development
a. Although in adults norepinephrine moderates memory consolidation and learning; norepinephrine from the locus coerculeus appears to be necessary and sufficient for learning in humans
2) The amygdala, being immature during early neonatal development, may not be capable of associating aversive stimuli w alarm or avoidance behavior; this may leave virtually all stimuli to be simply encoded as “familiar,” which is, for many intents and purposes at this stage, unconditionally reinforcing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Coan:How does the dopaminergic system and the neuropeptides, oxytocin and vasopressin, distinguish mating behavior from partner preference? How does the research with voles demonstrate this?

A

1) Dopaminergic activity in the nucleus accumbens is insufficient for the establishment of partner preferences
2) Oxytocin and vasopressin have been associated w the formation of partner preferences regardless of mating behavior, and both, especially oxytocin, are elicited by positive social behavior

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Prior and Glaser:What are the two questions addressed by this article?

A

1) Which domains of functioning, precisely, are hypothesized to be correlated with attachment?
2) If attachment security is found to be associated w functioning in other behavioral systems, what are the pathways of its influence?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Prior and Glaser:Table 10.1. Different views of the domains of functioning associated with attachment security

A

1) Narrow view: Trust, confidence and harmony in relationship w partner and significant others/ emotion regulation/ self-reliance (vs dependency), ego-resilience, personal efficacy/ Relational intimacy/ Interpersonal competence/ Relationship-based developmental disorders
2) Broad view: Everything in Narrow View + sociability w unfamiliar adults and peers/Understanding of and orientation towards others
3) Very broad view: Broad view + Language and cognitive competence/ play competence, exploratory skill/ communication style/ other outcomes influenced by self-confidence and ego functioning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Prior and Glaser:In brief, what components are included in Models 1 -3?

A

M1(V broad view):Attachment security influences functioning in another behavioral system
M2:Attachment security shares its influence on functioning in another behavioral system w another factor (i.e. self-confidence)
M3: Attachment security does not influence functioning in another behavioral system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Prior and Glaser:What distinction does Bowlby make between “safety” and “security”?

A

1) Safety: The objective condition

2) Security: The feeling state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Prior and Glaser:What was the “third definition of competence” offered by Ainsworth & Bell?

A

1) Attachment security influences functioning in another behavioral system by influencing the feeling state associated w that system
a. Infant’s ability to influence his environment by influencing his carer fosters a general ‘sense of competence’ and this influences the development of increased competence in other domains, whether viewed in absolute or age-appropriate terms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Prior and Glaser:Describe the feedback loop in Model 5.

A

1)Feed-back loop may operate in which attachment security enhances caregiver sensitivity in another parenting domain, i.e. play, which promotes greater child competence in that domain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Prior and Glaser:What do the authors conclude about what is known and not known about the correlates of attachment security?

A

1) What’s known: The link bw caregiving sensitivity and attachment security is already established
2) What’s not know:The link bw parental sensitivity and child feeling states and competencies in other domains

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Bowbly and social info processing(2)

A

1) IWM: Experience based mental representation
a) Adaptive or maladaptive
i) Quality of IWM predicts processing of social environment
2) In presence of “attachment relevant social info”
a) Maladaptive IWM defends against painful info
b) 2 forms of defensive exclusion
i) Deactivation: Turn attn away from emotions
ii) Disconnect from sitatuion
c) adaptive IWM
i) Tolerates distressing situations
- Expects mastery over threatening situations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Schema driven view of attachment security and social info processing(2)

A

1) Insecure attachment
a) Negatively biased schema
i) Draw on bad experiences w. caregiving
2) Secure attachment
a) (+)biased schema
- Draw on (+) experiences w caregiving

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Hostile attributional bias

A

Hostile ppl tend to see other people’s actions as intentionally hostile towards them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Ziv et al. (2004) Attributional bias (3)

A

1) Connection bw infant SSP classification + attributions of hostile intent
2) Secure
a) Attribute + motives
i) Except to hostile intent
3) Insecure
a) Attribute - motives to ALL

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Processing w biased schema: The stroop test

A

1) Typical results: Slow to name color if incongruent w color label
2) “Emotional” stroop: Typically slower to name color of - words

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Zeijlman’s et al. Stoop Test(2)

A

1) Secure, Anxiety disorder (AD) participants
a) Greatest threat response
2) Insecure, AD participants
a) Least threat response
i) Suppressing info

28
Q

Processing w biased schema:Theory of Mind(3)

A

1) Other minds differ from our own
2) Mental state drives behavior
3) Measure
a) False belief task (Pirate + cheese)

29
Q

Why would you expect attachment security to be related to a theory of mind?

A

Security->close peer relationships ->rich “database”

30
Q

Insecurity and TOM: Repacholi and Trapilini

A

1) If - caregiving experience
a) problems dealing w others’ feelings
b) difficulty w reflective functioning
i) Understanding self and others
c) Especially hard when the characters are attachment figures [i.e. avoidant and ambivalent]

31
Q

Processing w biased schema (TOM): Hunefeldt et al., 2013 (5)

A

1) Sample:14-19yr olds
2) Measures:
a) Experiences in close relationships
b) Reading the Mind’s eye
3) Expected
a) Anxious hyperactivating strategies
i) More accurate)
b) Avoidant deactivating strategies
i) Less accurate
4) Found
a) Negative correlation bw: Anxious attachment and accuracy
5) Explanation
a) Inconsistent caregiving
i) Problem for secure attachment
ii) And for ToM

32
Q

Processing w biased schema: Empathy [Panfile & Laible] (2)

A

1)Role of care giver:
a)Models empathy
2) Caregiving history and emotion regulation [Panfile & Laible, 2012]
Attachment->Emo reg->EMPATHY->Prosocial behavior

33
Q

How might success in school be related to attachment security?

A

The attachment system and exploration system balance

34
Q

Attachment security & cognitive outcomes (West et al.) 4 hypotheses for attachment-cognitive performance connection

A

1) Attachment-teaching hypothesis:
a) Attuned parents assist child’s learning
b) Parents have encouraging attd. toward school
2) Social network hypothesis
a) Harmonious caregiving relationships extend to teachers and peers
b) Security leads comfort in school
3) Attachment cooperation hypothesis
a) security leads to compliance
b) Security associated w less stress when away from caregiver
4) Self-regulation hypothesis
a) Security influences self-motivation and self-control

35
Q

What is epigenetics?

A

The study of all the cases where the genetic code alone isn’t enough to describe what’s happening

36
Q

DNA’s composition (5)

A

Guanine, cytosine, adenine, thymine + proteins

37
Q

Human genome(2)

A

1) An organisms complete set of DNA

2) A copy of the entire genome is contained in all cells that have a nucleus

38
Q

The epigenetic landscape: Waddington (1942) (3)

A

1) No simple correspondence bw genes & outcome
2) Rather, interaction of genes and w environment
3) The marble of the hill:
a) At top: undifferentiated cell
b) Rolling downhill: Increased, irreversible differentiation

39
Q

Structure of the genetic material

A

The starting point for understanding epigenetic modifications (how or whether a gene is expressed)

40
Q

Epigenetic Modification of DNA (2)

A

1) Modifying DNA-not what genes code for but how or whether a gene is expressed
2) Two major classes of epigenetic modifications
a) DNA methylation
i) Binding of methyl group to DNA
ii) Begins a cascade of events that interfere w gene expression
b) Histone acetylation
i) Binding of acetyl group to histone
ii) Begins cascade of events that enhance gene expression

41
Q

The long lasting effects of childhood trauma

A

1) cortisol
a) Hormone produced in responses to stress
b) Elevated levels in adults w/ traumatic childhoods

42
Q

Cognitive responses to stress (1)

A

1)Hypothalmus releases
a)CHR: Corticotropin releasing hormone
b)Arginine vasopressin
i)These stimulate pituitary to release
-ACTH: Adrenocorticotropin hormone
ii)Which circulates back to hippocampus
-Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs)
“Calm down!”

43
Q

Rats and cognitive responses to stress

A

Strong nurturing of baby rats sets up a cascade of molecular events that result in increased expression of the cortisol receptor in the brain

44
Q

Mice and cognitive responses to stress

A

1) Hypothalmus in stressed-out mice:
a) Decrased methylation of
i) Arginine vasopressin gene
- Increase stress response

45
Q

Stress from early trauma involves(2)

A

1) Decrease in gene activity
a) Methylation decreases GR activity
2) Increases in gene activity
b) Demythilation AVP activity

46
Q

(Video)Courtney Griffin and histones (1a-c)

A

1) aka epigenetic marks
a) can be transmitted through generation
b) Can accumulate after birth
c) Are reversible

47
Q

Characteristics of the baby that could influence caregiving (2)

A

1) Temperament
a) Affective, motivational, cognitive adaptations that are constitutional but also shaped by experience
2) Phenotype of Temperament
a) Reactivity and regulation in attention, emotion, motor activity
b) Accepted as ‘primitive trait’

48
Q

What do temperament theory and attachment theory have in common? (4)

A

1) Both address biologically-based mechanisms
2) Both emphasize regulatory mechanisms
3) Both consider environmental experiences crucial to adaptation

49
Q

How do temperament theory and attachment theory differ?

A

1) Explain different phenomena
a) Attachment theory: Development and maintenance of relationships
i) Depends on history of social-psychological experiences
b) Temperament theory: reactivity ‘set points’ determined by biology
i) An attribute of the individual not a relationship

50
Q

3 temperament traits according to Chess, Thomas, and Kagan

A

Sensitivity, adaptability, approach and w.draw

51
Q

Jerome Kagan on temperament

A

Neurochemistry makes temperament more likely

Temperament as behavioral inhibition

52
Q

Kagan’s study on temperament and SSP (2)

A

1) Direct connection bw temperament and SSP behavior: SSP measures TEMPERAMENT, not attachment
2) Indirect connection b TEMPERAMENT and SSP behavior:
a) Temperament induces caregiving that results in SSP behavior

53
Q

Reviews of Kagan’s research suggest(2)

A

1) Can’t predict attach. security from temperament

2) Can’t predict temperament from attach. security

54
Q

What kinds of questions does field of behavioral genetics ask? (2)

A

1) How genetics and environment interact to produce behavioral attribute
2) Genotype x environment phenotype

55
Q

How does field of behavioral genetics answer these questions? (2)

A

1) Selective breeding studies
2) Family studies
a) Twin studies
i) On an attribute, how similar are identical twins vs fraternal twins?
ii) Does it make a difference if these twins were raised together or apart?
ex: IQ

56
Q

Bowbly believes that ___ more important than ____

A

environment, genetics

57
Q

Behavior genetics approach examines? (2)

A

1) Examine similarity bw twins due to
a) genetic factors
b) Shared environmental experience (care giving experience)
2) Examine differences due to
a) Nonshared environmental experience

58
Q

Bokhorst et al., 2003 tested whether? (3)

A

1) Secure vs insecure
a) Influenced by or shared environment
2) Temperament reactivity
a) Influenced by genes or shared environment
3) Temperament similarities in twins
a) Predict attachment classification similarities in twins

59
Q

Measures in Bokhorst et al. 2003 (2)

A

1) Attachment:SSP

2) Temperament:Infant behavior questionnaire

60
Q

Results in Bokhorst et al.2003 (3)

A

1) 52% of variance in attachment security is explained by shared environment
a) 48% of variance in attachment security is explained by nonshared environment
2) 77% of variation in temperament is explained by genetics
3) Temperament did not predict attachment classification

61
Q

Barry et al. (2008) examined what 2 variables?

A

1) serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLRP) X mother responsiveness
a)Two 5-HTTLRP alleles
i)Short allele: dysfunction in serotinergic system
-Impulsive
-Aggressive
-Risk-taking
All of these could present as temperament differences

62
Q

Based on previous research w/5-HTTLRP, expected:

A

1) Environmental contribution to link bw genotype x security
a) Short allele x responsiveness=security
i) In other words, resp parent=secure attach despite short allele

63
Q

Barry et al. measures

A

1) Maternal responsiveness @ 7mos
2) SSP @ 15mos
3) Genotype (short vs long) @ 52mos

64
Q

Barry et al. results

A

1) Short allele genotyps
a) Responsiveness predicts security
b) For long allele genotypes:
i) No association bw responsiveness and security

65
Q

Could the genotype elicit different levels responsiveness?

A

1) Probably not

2) No difference in responsiveness bw genotypes

66
Q

Temperament and attachment are ____ domains

A

separate

a)One does not fully explain the other

67
Q

Both temperament and attachment contribute to similar broad outcomes such as (2)

A

1) Interpersonal (difficult temp=relat. probs)
2) Intrapersonal
- Makes sense to use measure of both when studying ‘consequences’ of attachment and temperament