Introduction To Attachment

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

1. Two way emotional bond between two individuals
2. Essential for their own emotional security
3. It takes months to develop in humans

Question 2

Behaviour displayed during attachment

Answer 2

1. Proximity (physical closeness)
2. Separation distress
3. Secure- base behaviour (return to them/ stay in contact)
   E.g. infants regularly return to attachment figure after playing

Question 3

Reciprocity

Definition

Answer 3

1. Description of how two people interact
2. Mother- infant - reciprocal
3. Both mother and infant respond to each other’s signals and elicits a respond from the other

Question 4

Reciprocity

Explanation

Answer 4

Feldman and Eidelman(2007)

1. • babies have periodic “alert phase “
     - they signal for interaction and mothers pick it up and respond 2/3 of the time

Feldman 2007
2. From around 3 months interaction are more frequent- involves close attention to verbal signals and facial expressions

3. Babies take active role
   Both can initiate interaction and take turns
   Brazleton et al (1975)- like a “dance “

Question 5

Interactional Synchrony

Definition

Answer 5

1. Mother and infant reflect both the action and emotions of the other
2. Co-ordinated (synchronised) way-
   Same action simultaneously
3. Feldman 2007
   “Temporal co-ordination of micro level social behaviour “

Question 6

Intersectional Synchrony (imitation )Experiment 1

Answer 6

Meltzoff and Moore (1977)

1. observation of infants as young as two weeks old (12-21 day old )
2. an adult displayed 1/3 facial expression or distinctive gestures
3. child’s responses were filmed and identified by independent observers and rated
4. association was found between expression and gestures of adult displayed and actions of the babies- attachment strategy

Question 7

Interactional Synchrony

Experiment 2

Answer 7

Important for development of mother- infant attachment

Isabella et al (1989)

1. 30 mother and infants together and assessed degree of synchrony
2. Assessed quality of infant-mother attachment
3. High levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother- infant attachment
   (Emotional intensity)

Question 8

Evaluation of the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity

Answer 8

1. Feldman (2012)
   - Synchrony simply described behaviours that occur at the same time
   - It can be reliably observed but it may not be useful as it doesn’t tell us their purpose
2. However some evidence shows they are helpful in development of mother infant attachment
   - Helpful in stress responses, empathy, language and moral development

Question 9

Evaluation of controlled observation in interactional Synchrony

Answer 9

Good validity

1. Well controlled procedure, they are filmed from different angles too
2. Fine details of behaviour can be recorded and analysed later
3. Observational research - no demand characteristics (babies don’t care or know that they are being observed so they behaviour doesn’t change )

Question 10

Evaluation on observing infants

Answer 10

Gratier (2003)
1. Multiple observations of interactions between mother and infants show same patterns of interaction

2. HOWEVER
   Hand movements and changes in facial expressions are being observed
   - no one knows the infants perspective (is it conscious and deliberate ?)
3. You can’t know if the behaviours have a special meaning

Question 11

Parent- infant attachment

Answer 11

Schaffer & Emerson (1964)

1. Majority of babies became attached to their mother first (7 months)
2. Within a few weeks or months they formed secondary attachments to to other family members (including fathers)
3. 75% infants studied formed an attachment to the father by age of 18 months
   - infant protested when their father walked away (a sign of attachment )

Question 12

Role of the father experiment

Answer 12

1. Shaffer 1964

65% of infants attachment figure was mum
30% was mum and another person (often dad)
3% just dad

(1960s working class Glasgow )

Question 13

Role of the father

Answer 13

Grossman (2002)

Longitudinal study
44 families
Compared role of fathers and mothers to child’s attachment experiences at 6,10,16 years

Quality of attachment with mother was related to quality of attachment in adolescence But not fathers (less important)
Quality of fathers play with infant related to quality of adolescent attachment
Fathers- as playmates
Stimulation and risk taking behaviours
Less to do with nurturing

Question 14

Father as primary carer

Answer 14

Field (1978)

1. Filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers
2. Primary caregiver fathers (like mothers) smiled, imitated and held infants more than secondary
3. Shows fathers can be more nurturing attachment figures
4. Level of responsiveness is more important in building attachment not the gender

Question 15

Evaluation: inconsistent findings on fathers

Answer 15

The answer “what is the role of the father” is not easy to answer

1. Understanding the father as a secondary attachment figures
   - fathers have different role to mothers and behave differently
2. Father as primary attachment figure
   Fathers can take on maternal role

Question 16

Evaluation: Fathers as primary attachment figures

Answer 16

1. social - gender roles “women are caring and nurturing and fathers don’t think they should act like that”
2. biological reasons- hormones (oestrogen) create higher levels of nurturing
3. Taylor et al (2000) women are predisposed to be primary attachment figure

Question 17

Evaluation: Fathers have distinct roles ?

Answer 17

1. Grossman- fathers as secondary attachment figures has important role in children’s development
2. Verissimo et al 2011
   Preschool children’s relationships with mothers and fathers assessed with follow up assessment of later social interactions at nursery
   - strong attachment to father : high ability to make friends in school
   - father is important in socialisation professes
3. MacCallum and Golombok 2004
   Children in single or same sex families develop the same as those in two parent heterosexual families
   - fathers role as secondary attachment figure is not important

Question 18

Evaluation: Social sensitivity

Answer 18

1. Mothers that go back to work immediately restrict opportunity for achieving interactional Synchrony
   - Isabella et al said interactional synchrony was important in developing infant-caregiver attachment
   - mothers shouldn’t return to work so soon
2. Fox 1977
   Working mothers have time for interaction after working hours
3. Men feel they are biologically not capable of providing same function as women

Question 19

Sensitive responsiveness

Answer 19

Parent pays careful attention to infant and responding appropriately

• crying = milk
• baby talk
• skin to skin contact for bonding
• imitation

-more of a maternal role