Intro To Attachment

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

A strong reciprocal emotional bond between an infant and a primary care giver. These interactions are important for child’s social development. Takes few months to develop

Question 2

Reciprocity

Answer 2

Interaction is reciprocal when each person responds to the other and elicits a response from them. Baby could take active and passive role. Child bonds with mother, and mother bonds with child for attachment to form successfully

Question 3

How does caregiver know baby is ready for interaction? (Feldman)

Answer 3

They have periodic alert phrases and mothers pick up on it and respond to it 2/3 of the time. Brazleton said it was like a dance.

Question 4

Interactional Synchrony

Answer 4

Temporal coordination of micro level social behaviour. Takes place when mother and child interact in such a way their actions mirror each other. Takes place 2 weeks after.

Question 5

Isabella et al

Answer 5

Observed 30 mothers and infants to assess degree of synchrony and asses quality of their attachment. Results: high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality attachments.

Question 6

Schaffer and Emerson

Answer 6

Found that maj. of babies attach to mother first in months and then weeks after form secondary attachments. 75% of infants’ attachment was formed with father by 18 months and it was shown by protesting when father walked away.

Question 7

Longitudinal Study

Answer 7

When you study a particular person for years.

Question 8

Grossman

Answer 8

Carried out longitudinal study looking at parents’ behaviour and relationship with child from young to teen. Found that children go to mothers for nurturing whereas the father’s role is play and stimulation.

Question 9

Field

Answer 9

Filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver mother, secondary caregiver father and primary caregiver father. Results: primary caregiver fathers spent more time nurturing. This shows that fathers can be the nurturing figure meaning it is the level of responsiveness that is important, not the gender of the parent.

Question 10

Strength

Answer 10

Well controlled. Babies don’t know they are being observed so their behaviour doesn’t change. This means good validity.

Question 11

Weakness

Answer 11

Hard to know what is happening when observing infants. Only observing hand movements or changes in expression. Therefore don’t know if interaction has special meaning

Question 12

Weakness

Answer 12

Observations don’t tell purpose of synchrony and reciprocity. Only describe behaviours that happen at the same time. Not the purpose. However there is evidence that reciprocal interaction are helpful in development of attachment: stress.

Question 13

Weakness

Answer 13

Inconsistent findings on fathers. Different psychologists are concerned about father being secondary caregiver while others are concerned about father being primary caregiver. Can’t answer what is the role of the father?

Question 14

Weakness

Answer 14

Fathers don’t tend to be the primary attachment as women are expected to be more caring than men. Therefore fathers simply don’t feel they have to act like that. Or could be female hormones create high nurturing levels.