Introduction to attachment Flashcards
what is an attachment
a close two-way emotional bond between two individuals in which both see the other as essential for their own emotional security
what is reciprocity
mother-infant interaction is reciprocal meaning both infant and mother respond to each others signals and each elict a response from the other
what is interactional synchrony
mother and infant reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co-ordinated(synchronised) way
what do Feldman and Eidelman say about reciprocity
babies have period ‘alert phases’ to signal they are ready for interaction and mothers tend to pick up and respond to these two thirds of the time
what are some key points of reciprocity
involves close attention to eachothers verbal signals and facial expressions
what are some key points of interactional synchrony
- their actions mirror eachother
- important for development of mother-infant attachment
what does Isabella et al say about interactional synchrony
found high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother-infant attachment
what does Brazeleton say about reciprocity
mother and child take turn to initiate actions and baby takes an active role
AO3 points for caregiver-infant interaction- research(strengths)
supportive research for reciprocity: -Feldman and Eidelman -Brazeleton et al supportive research for interactional synchrony: -Meltzoff and Moore -Isabella et al
AO3 points for caregiver-infant interaction-research(weaknesses)
-studies into interactional synchrony lack generalisability:
the parent-child relationships are subjective to the parents own upbringing and later experiences, meaning none will be the same
AO3 points for caregiver-infant interaction-evaluation of research(strengths)
-research has good internal validity
>controlled observations of mother-infant interactions are generally well controlled, with both mother and infant being filmed from multiple angles- so very fine details of behaviour can be recorded and later analysed
>babies dont know or care that they are being observed so behaviour does not change
AO3 points for caregiver-infant interaction-credibility(weaknesses)
-it is difficult to truly know the reason for actions in babies therefore inferences are made
AO3 points for caregiver-infant interaction-practical application(strengths)
- interaction can be seen with all caregiver and infants even if it differs between relations
- can be applied to real life and explain why some infants have a stronger bond than others
AO3 points for caregiver-infant interaction-practical application(weaknesses)
lots of factors can affect attachment that can put further strain on the mother
other AO3 evaluation points for caregiver-infant interaction
- practical issues- babies are often asleep or being fed
- some studies failed to replicate earlier findings e.g.Koepke
- may be socially sensitive
what did Schaffer and Emerson find about primary attachments
majority of babies become attached to their mother first- around 7 months
what did Schaffer and Emerson find about secondary attachments
within a few weeks/months after primary attachment is formed a secondary attachment to other family members is formed
-in 75% of infants studied, an attachment with father was formed by 18 months
what did Grossman say about the role of the father in attachment
fathers have a different role in attachment- more to do with play and stimulation
what was the procedure of Field
filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver, secondary caregiver and primary caregiver fathers
what did Field find in his study
the key to the attachment relationship is the level of responsiveness not the gender as primary caregiver fathers, like mothers, spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers