Explanation for attachment: session 11

Question 1

What was Lorenz study called?

Answer 1

Lorenz imprinting study

Question 2

What was Lorenz procedure?

Answer 2

1) hatched 5 chicks separately in incubators
2) once chicks were 10hr old he put them in separate rooms and introduced them to different objects

3) repeated with 30hr old chicks

Question 3

What objects did Lorenz use?

Answer 3

• electronic dog
• balloon with face
• electronic train no face
• duck toy
• bunny

Question 4

What was Lorenz findings in 1935?

Answer 4

• all 10hr old chicks distressed chirp when their objects are taken away
• all 10hr old chicks follow their object
• when all chicks are put together in a room with their objects they divide themselves up and follow their object
• when 30hr old chicks are presented with objects they become distressed
• Imprinting is restricted to critical period, if animal hasn’t seen moving object within that time it won’t imprint

Question 5

What was Harlows study called?

Answer 5

Harlow attachment theory

Question 6

What was Harlows aim?

Answer 6

To demonstrate that attachment is based off of the feeding bond between mother and infant

Question 7

What was Harlows procedure ?

Answer 7

1) created 2 surrogate mothers. One of cloth and one of wire which previously fed the monkey
2) infant monkeys separated from mothers after birth and placed in cage with surrogate mother
3) observed how long each monkey spent with each mother
4) monkey placed in stressful situations to observe who they went to for comfort

Question 8

What were Harlows findings?

Answer 8

• monkeys became attached to cloth mother even though she provided no food
• monkeys seeked cloth mother when scared

Question 9

What are real life examples of these studies?

Answer 9

Schaffer and Emerson 1964

Question 10

What type of study was Schaffer and Emerson?

Answer 10

• longitudinal
• observed 60 babies from Glasgow for 18months

Question 11

What was Schaffer and Emerson’s procedure?

Answer 11

Assessed 60 babies by asking their mothers questions regarding their behaviour when separated from her

Question 12

What for stages of attachment did Schaffer and Emerson discover?

Answer 12

• Asocial attachment
• indiscriminate attachment stage
• specific attachment stage
• multiple attachment stage

Question 13

What is the Asocial attachment stage?

Answer 13

• 0-6 weeks
• Learn to distinguish primary and secondary caregivers but do not have stranger anxiety yet

Question 14

What is the indiscriminate attachment stage?

Answer 14

• 6 weeks- 6 months
• Start to prefer human company and do not experience separation or stranger anxiety

Question 15

What is the specific attachment stage?

Answer 15

• 7+ months
• Infant forms strong attachment to primary caregiver and begins displaying stranger anxiety

Question 16

What is the multiple attachment stage?

Answer 16

• 10-11 months
• after forming specific attachments infants develop more to other familiar caregivers such as father, sibling, grandparents

Question 17

What is the contrasting attachment theory?

Answer 17

Bowlby
- infants form one secondary emotional attachment and that secondary attachments are important as an emotional safety net

Question 18

What is cupboard love?

Answer 18

Theory of attachment that suggests attachments develop through classical or operant conditioning.
Infant connects to caregiver who provides food

Question 19

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 19

Learning through reinforcement
- positive reinforcement: something that rewards behaviour ( baby learning to cry when hungry)
- negative reinforcement: when a response switches something off (parents learning to feed or cuddle baby to stop crying)

Question 20

What was Bowlbys evolutionary theory of attachment?

Answer 20

• Babies are cute so easy to attach to
• babies attach to one primary caregiver - mother - secure base - food & protection
• secondary attachment forms

Question 21

Contrasting attachment ideas to Bowlby

Answer 21

Sagi et al
- looked at children in kibbutz
- attachment to mother was strong with 80% securely attached and no avoidant
- this suggests there is no difference in importance between primary and secondary

Question 22

What does Bowlbys internal working model suggest?

Answer 22

• positively loved child = secure
• unloved and rejected child = avoidant
• angry and confused child = resistant