Introduction to attachment

Question 1

Caregiver-infant interactions

Definition

Answer 1

meaningful social interactions with carers

Question 2

Reciprocity

Definition

Answer 2

infant and mother respond to each other’s signals and elicit a response from each other

Question 3

Reciprocity

People

Answer 3

└Feldman and Eieldman (2007)- mothers notice/ respond to infants alertness about 2/3 of the time
└Feldman (2007) interaction more frequent around 3 months
└Brazleton et al (1975)- described interaction as a dance

Question 4

Interactional synchrony

Definition

Answer 4

mother and infant reflect actions and emotions of the other in a co-ordinated (synchronised) way

Question 5

Interactional synchrony

People

Answer 5

└Feldman (2007)- ‘the temporal co-ordination of micro-level social behaviour’
└Meltzoff and Moore (1977)- observe as young as 2 weeks old –association between one of 3 distinctive gestures and response
└Isabella et al (1989)- assessed synchrony degree in 30 mothers via observation- assessed quality of mother-infant attachment
└higher mother-infant attachment= higher levels of synchrony

Question 6

Caregiver-infant interactions

Strengths

Answer 6

Controlled observations
└mother and child filmed from many angles so can record and analyse finer details later
└babies don’t know they are being observed so no change in behaviour
└good validity

Question 7

Caregiver-infant interactions
Limitations
Summary

Answer 7

Observations are difficult - Gratier (2003)
Don’t tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity- Feldman (2012)
Socially sensitive research- working mothers - Isabella et al

Question 8

Caregiver-infant interactions
Limitations
Observations are difficult

Answer 8

└Gratier (2003)- observation of interactions have shown same pattern
└cant tell from infants perspective- if deliberate and conscious?

Question 9

Caregiver-infant interactions
Limitations
Don’t tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity

Answer 9

└Feldman (2012)
└synchrony (+reciprocity) simply describe behaviours that happen at the same time
└good as can be easily observed
└not useful as doesn’t tell purpose
└however some evidence that they are helpful in development of mother-infant attachment
└helpful in stress responses, empathy language and moral development

Question 10

Caregiver-infant interactions
Limitations
Socially sensitive research- working mothers

Answer 10

└suggests children may be disadvantaged by certain child rearing practices
└mothers that return to work shortly after a child is born- restrict opportunities of achieving interactional synchrony
└Isabella et al
└important in developing caregiver-infant attachment
└suggests mothers shouldn’t return to work too soon

Question 11

Attachment

Definition

Answer 11

a close two way emotional bond between too individuals in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security

Question 12

attachment behaviours

Answer 12

-proximity (stay physically close)
-separation distress (distress when an attachment figure leaves their presence)
secure-base behaviour (regularly return to attachment figure while playing-infants)

Question 13

attachment behaviours

proximity

Answer 13

stay physically close

Question 14

attachment behaviours

separation distress

Answer 14

distress when an attachment figure leaves their presence

Question 15

attachment behaviours

secure-base behaviour

Answer 15

regularly return to attachment figure while playing-infants

Question 16

Parent-infant attachment

Person

Answer 16

Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

Question 17

Parent-infant attachment

Answer 17

└Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
└majority of babies attached to mother first (within 7 months) then formed secondary attachment with father (by 18 months- 75%)

Question 18

Role of father

Person

Answer 18

Grossman (2002)

Question 19

Role of father

Answer 19

└Grossman (2002)
└longitudinal study- look at mother/fathers behaviour and relationship to quality of attachment into teens
└quality of infant attachment with mothers not fathers was important= suggest mothers attachment more important
└fathers quality of play>quality of nurturing

Question 20

Fathers as primary carers

Person

Answer 20

Field (1978)

Question 21

Fathers as primary carers

Answer 21

└Field (1978)
└filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers/fathers and secondary caregiver fathers
└primary more time smiling imitating and holding infants
└=level of responsiveness important not gender

Question 22

Attachment figures
Limitations
Summary

Answer 22

Inconsistent findings on fathers
Why aren’t children with no fathers different - MacCallum and Golombok (2004)
Why don’t fathers generally become primary attachments

Question 23

Attachment figures
Limitations
Inconsistent findings on fathers

Answer 23

└psychologists study different questions so come out with different results
└as secondary attachment figure= distinct different role from mothers
└as primary attachment figure= take on ‘maternal’ role

Question 24

Attachment figures
Limitations
Why aren’t children with no fathers different

Answer 24

└MacCallum and Golombok (2004)

└single/same sex families don’t develop differently to heterosexual families

Question 25

Attachment figures
Limitations
Why don’t fathers generally become primary attachments

Answer 25

└could be a result of traditional gender roles
└women more caring and nurturing than men
└could be female hormones (e.g. oestrogen)
└create a higher level of nurturing
└women biologically predisposed to be the primary attachment figure