Introduction to Attachment

Question 1

What is the definition for attachment?

Answer 1

An affectional tie between a person/ animal and another that binds them together. A behavioral hallmark of attachment is seeking to gain/maintain a degree of proximity.

Question 2

What does altricial mean?

Answer 2

Born at an early stage of development.

Question 3

What is stranger anxiety?

Answer 3

The distress a baby experiences when left with someone unfamiliar.

Question 4

What is separation anxiety?

Answer 4

The distress a baby experiences when their caregiver leaves them.

Question 5

What is reunion behavior?

Answer 5

How a baby reacts when reunited with its caregiver.

Question 6

What is reciprocity?

Answer 6

How two people interact with each other. Caregiver- infant behavior is reciprocal in that they both respond to each others signals and elicit a response.

Question 7

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 7

Caregiver and infant reflect the actions and/ or emotions of each other in a coordinated way.

Question 8

What is the difference between reciprocity and interactional synchrony?

Answer 8

Reciprocity is when caregiver and infant take it in turn eliciting a response while interactional synchrony is in a coordinated way.

Question 9

Explain what Meltzoff and Moore (1977) did, found and what this means (support for interactional synchrony).

Answer 9

They studied babies as young as 2-3 weeks old and found they imitated specific facial and hand gestures. This supports the idea that imitation is an innate ability to forming attachment.

Question 10

What are the problems with Meltzoff and Moore’s research?

Answer 10

It is controversial as when people have tried to replicate, it did not work. Also, babies are hard to observe due to them being unpredictable and the fact you do not know if there action was actually a response or not.

Question 11

What did Isabella et al (1989) do and find to also support interactional synchrony?

Answer 11

Assessed 30 mothers for a degree of synchrony and quality of mother-infant attachment. High levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother-infant attachment.

Question 12

Research supporting reciprocity? What did this researcher say?

Answer 12

Brazleton et al (1975) compared interactions to a ‘dance’ as the baby takes on the active role and both partners respond to each others moves.

Question 13

Is there any problems with Brazleton et al’s research?

Answer 13

Does not match up with traditional views that babies are passive with interactions- Brazleton indicated that both are innate interactions and they take turns doing so.

Question 14

Name 3 people who did research into the role of the father.

Answer 14

Geiger (1996), Lamb (1987) and Hardy (1999).

Question 15

What did Geiger’s (1996) research into the role of the father suggest?

Answer 15

Found fathers play interactions are more exciting and pleasurable than mothers. This suggests fathers are more of a playmaker than a caregiver.

Question 16

What did Lamb’s (1987) research suggest about the role of the father?

Answer 16

Lamb found that children often prefer interaction with fathers when in a positive emotional state and mothers when in a more distressed state (again mothers=emotional and fathers=physical). However he also found that fathers who become the main caregiver seem to be able to quickly develop more sensitivity.

Question 17

What did Hardy’s (1999) research into the role of the father find?

Answer 17

Found that fathers are less able than mothers to detect low levels of infant distress. This may suggest why infants are less likely to go to their father in times of distress.

Question 18

Name 4 factors that affect child-father relationships?

Answer 18

Degree of sensitivity, Fathers own attachment type with his parents, martial intimacy and supportive co-parenting.

Question 19

Outline the procedure and findings of Grossman et al’s (2002) research into mother and fathers contributions to their children’s attachment.

Answer 19

Studied 44 families over a 16 year period (longitudinal study) and tested attachment at 6,10 and 16. Found quality of infant attachment with mothers related to peer attachments in adolescence while fathers quality of play was associated.

Question 20

Evaluation of caregiver- infant interactions - hard to know what is happening?

Answer 20

Many studies involve observations of interactions between mothers and infants and have shown the same patterns of interaction. However what is being observed is merely hand movements of difference in expression. It is extremely difficult to be certain of what is happening from the infants perspective. This means we cannot be sure that the behaviours seen really do have a special meaning.

Question 21

Evaluation of caregiver- infant interactions - controlled observation capture fine detail.

Answer 21

Observations are generally well controlled procedures, with both mother and infant being filmed. This ensures fine details can be recorded and later analysed. Babies also do not know they are being observed so their behaviour does not cange - which is normally a problem in psychological research. This means it has good validity.

Question 22

Evaluation of attachment figures - Inconsistent findings on fathers.

Answer 22

Research into the role of fathers is confusing because different researchers are interested in different research questions. Some are interested in understanding the role of fathers as a secondary attachment figure whereas some are concerned with the father being a primary attachment figure. The former tended to see fathers behaving differently yo mothers and having a distinct role while the later have found fathers can take on ‘maternal role’. This means it is unclear what the role of the father actually is.

Question 23

Evaluation of attachment figures - If fathers have a distinct role why aren’t children without fathers different?

Answer 23

Grossman found that fathers as secondary attachment figures had an important role in their child’s development. However other studies have found that children growing up in single or same sex families do not develop any differently from those in two parent heterosexual families. This would suggest that the fathers role as a secondary figure is not important.