Family Influences on Development

Question 1

attachment theory

Answer 1

importance of the close emotional bond that forms between a child and primary caregiver

Question 2

Non-traditional families

Answer 2

families that deviate from the traditional family of two married heterosexual parents who are biologically related to their children

Question 3

New family forms

Answer 3

families that did not exist or were hidden from society until the latter part of 20th century:

• lesbian mother families
• gay father families
• single mothers by choice
• families created by assisted reproductive technologies like IVF

Question 4

what is attachment

Answer 4

John Bowlby viewed attachment as a close emotional bond between an infant and mother (later conceptualised as any close carer).

According to hum, infants have the biological predisposition to long for close proximity and interactions with their caregivers while adults have a natural instinct to respond to infants’ needs

Question 5

attachment linked to what outcomes?

Answer 5

emotional wellbeing
social competence (e.g. peer relationships and later attachments)
behaviour (e.g. behavioural issues)
cognitive development (e.g. academic outcomes)

Question 6

what is an internal working model

Answer 6

Mental representations that assess attachment figures and the individuals’ relationships with them.

Bretherton (2016) outlined neural processes

Question 7

Ainsworth

Answer 7

Ainsworth identified types of attachment and their relevant IWMs

• secure (mother is predictably responsive, self is lovable)
• insecure-avoidant (mother is predictably unresponsive, self is unworthy of love)
• insecure-resistant (mother is unpredictably responsive, self is sometimes unworthy of love)
• disorganised - results from trauma to child or mother