Lecture 1 - Introduction Flashcards
How did Ainsworth (1969) define attachment?
A strong, relatively enduring emotional bond that one forms with a unique individual.
Who defined attachment as follows ‘A strong, relatively enduring emotional bond that one forms with a unique individual’?
Ainsworth (1969)
How many attachment relationships does one form?
3-7
Define shyness
Slow or inhibited approach and/or discomfort in social situations involving novelty or uncertainty.
Define temperament.
An individual’s typical mode of response including activity level, emotional intensity and attention span.
What key word does the following definition refer to:
An individual’s typical mode of response including activity level, emotional intensity and attention span.
Temperament
What were the heritability values found in a twin study by Robinson et al., (1992) and what trait were they measuring for?
Heritability of shyness:
.35 - .71 at 14 months
.22 - .62 at 20 months
Suggests definite influence of genes, but also a growing influence of environment with age.
What does cross-cultural research by Chen et al., (1998) show?
Chinese parents are more likely to encourage shyness in children, and view it as positive, whereas Canadian parents view it more negatively.
These attitudes towards inhibition shaped parenting methods & punishment when inhibitive behaviour was seen in the children. Culture shapes display of shyness.
What does Caspi et al., (2003) show?
Children who were inhibitive as a child (3 years) showed more specific traits at follow up (23 years), compared to other non-inhibited groups:
- Avoidance of physically dangerous experiences
- Preference for others to lead & not be centre of attention
- Least extraverted
Shy children therefore do tend to become shy adults - suggests development is continuous.
What is Multifinality?
The divergence of developmental paths in which two individuals start out similarly but end at very different points.
What is equifinality?
The convergence of developmental paths in which children follow very different paths to reach the same developmental end point.
What is imprinting, and who developed the theory of imprinting?
Lorenz (1952) demonstrated that newborn ducklings attempt to form attachments to the first object they saw during a brief, critical period after birth.
What are the phases of early development of attachment, and which study devised this?
Schaffer, (1996):
- Pre-attachment
- Attachment in the making
- Clear-cut attachment
- Goal corrected partnership
What was the age and description of pre-attachment, according to Schaffer (1996)?
0-2 months
Indiscriminate social responsiveness
What was the age and description of attachment in the making, according to Schaffer (1996)?
2-7 months
Recognition of familiar people
What was the age and description of clear-cut attachment, according to Schaffer (1996)?
7-24 months
Separation protest, wariness of strangers, intentional communication.
What was the age and description of goal-corrected partnership, according to Schaffer (1996)?
24 months +
Relationship is more two sided, children understand parents’ needs.
What are the 4 main theories of why attachment occurs?
Freud (psychoanalytic) – mother is associated with gratification of infants’ instinctual drive to obtain pleasure through oral stimulation.
Learning Theories – mother provides positive reinforcers.
Cognitive Developmental (Piaget) – E.g. Object permanence, which helps explain change in attachment behaviours over time.
Bowlby’s Ethological Theory - infants seek to form attachments because it aids their survival and positive development (evolutionary)
What percentage of infants have formed attachments with their mother in their first year of life, and which study found this?
93%, according to Schaffer and Emerson, (1964).
What percentage of infants have formed attachments only with their mother at 18 months, and which study found this?
5%, (Schaffer and Emerson, 1964).
Why are multiple attachments a goal for infants?
Evolutionary reasons - the more attachments formed, the more likely they are to have a caregiver around to ensure survival/secure base - increases exploratory behaviours.
The father attaches to the child for what reasons?
The father is often the playmate in early years, and improves social development in the child by playing in physically arousing and unusual games (Parke, 2002).
Define secure attachment and cite it.
An attachment where the infant is confident about the parent’s availability, responsiveness and reliability to serve as a secure base (Waters et al., 2002).
In Ainsworth’s (1969) original sample, what percentage of infants displayed secure attachments?
Of the white, middle class Baltimore infants studied, 60-65% displayed a secure attachment.
What percentage of infants in Ainsworth’s (1969) original strange situations procedure displayed insecure-avoidant attachments?
20%.
What percentage of infants in Ainsworth’s (1969) original strange situations procedure displayed insecure-ambivalent attachments?
10-15%
How do infants with a secure attachment react at reunion with parents?
1 year: Child seeks physical contact, proximity and interactions. Readily soothed and returns to play.
How do infants with an insecure-avoidant attachment react at reunion with parents?
Child activity ignores and avoids parent, looking away and remaining occupied with toys.
How do infants with an insecure-ambivalent attachment react at reunion with parents?
Infants seem to want closeness and contact, but parents are unable to effectively alleviate child’s distress.
How do infants with an insecure-disorganised attachment react at reunion with parents?
Child shows conflicting behaviour such as crying for their parent at the door, and then running away once the parent returns.
