Lecture 1 - Introduction

Question 1

How did Ainsworth (1969) define attachment?

Answer 1

A strong, relatively enduring emotional bond that one forms with a unique individual.

Question 2

Who defined attachment as follows ‘A strong, relatively enduring emotional bond that one forms with a unique individual’?

Answer 2

Ainsworth (1969)

Question 3

How many attachment relationships does one form?

Answer 3

3-7

Question 4

Define shyness

Answer 4

Slow or inhibited approach and/or discomfort in social situations involving novelty or uncertainty.

Question 5

Define temperament.

Answer 5

An individual’s typical mode of response including activity level, emotional intensity and attention span.

Question 6

What key word does the following definition refer to:

An individual’s typical mode of response including activity level, emotional intensity and attention span.

Answer 6

Temperament

Question 7

What were the heritability values found in a twin study by Robinson et al., (1992) and what trait were they measuring for?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What does cross-cultural research by Chen et al., (1998) show?

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

What does Caspi et al., (2003) show?

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

What is Multifinality?

Answer 10

The divergence of developmental paths in which two individuals start out similarly but end at very different points.

Question 11

What is equifinality?

Answer 11

The convergence of developmental paths in which children follow very different paths to reach the same developmental end point.

Question 12

What is imprinting, and who developed the theory of imprinting?

Answer 12

Lorenz (1952) demonstrated that newborn ducklings attempt to form attachments to the first object they saw during a brief, critical period after birth.

Question 13

What are the phases of early development of attachment, and which study devised this?

Answer 13

Schaffer, (1996):

1. Pre-attachment
2. Attachment in the making
3. Clear-cut attachment
4. Goal corrected partnership

Question 14

What was the age and description of pre-attachment, according to Schaffer (1996)?

Answer 14

0-2 months

Indiscriminate social responsiveness

Question 15

What was the age and description of attachment in the making, according to Schaffer (1996)?

Answer 15

2-7 months

Recognition of familiar people

Question 16

What was the age and description of clear-cut attachment, according to Schaffer (1996)?

Answer 16

7-24 months

Separation protest, wariness of strangers, intentional communication.

Question 17

What was the age and description of goal-corrected partnership, according to Schaffer (1996)?

Answer 17

24 months +

Relationship is more two sided, children understand parents’ needs.

Question 18

What are the 4 main theories of why attachment occurs?

Answer 18

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)

Question 19

What percentage of infants have formed attachments with their mother in their first year of life, and which study found this?

Answer 19

93%, according to Schaffer and Emerson, (1964).

Question 20

What percentage of infants have formed attachments only with their mother at 18 months, and which study found this?

Answer 20

5%, (Schaffer and Emerson, 1964).

Question 21

Why are multiple attachments a goal for infants?

Answer 21

Evolutionary reasons - the more attachments formed, the more likely they are to have a caregiver around to ensure survival/secure base - increases exploratory behaviours.

Question 22

The father attaches to the child for what reasons?

Answer 22

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).

Question 23

Define secure attachment and cite it.

Answer 23

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).

Question 24

In Ainsworth’s (1969) original sample, what percentage of infants displayed secure attachments?

Answer 24

Of the white, middle class Baltimore infants studied, 60-65% displayed a secure attachment.

Question 25

What percentage of infants in Ainsworth’s (1969) original strange situations procedure displayed insecure-avoidant attachments?

Answer 25

20%.

Question 26

What percentage of infants in Ainsworth’s (1969) original strange situations procedure displayed insecure-ambivalent attachments?

Answer 26

10-15%

Question 27

How do infants with a secure attachment react at reunion with parents?

Answer 27

1 year: Child seeks physical contact, proximity and interactions. Readily soothed and returns to play.

Question 28

How do infants with an insecure-avoidant attachment react at reunion with parents?

Answer 28

Child activity ignores and avoids parent, looking away and remaining occupied with toys.

Question 29

How do infants with an insecure-ambivalent attachment react at reunion with parents?

Answer 29

Infants seem to want closeness and contact, but parents are unable to effectively alleviate child’s distress.

Question 30

How do infants with an insecure-disorganised attachment react at reunion with parents?

Answer 30

Child shows conflicting behaviour such as crying for their parent at the door, and then running away once the parent returns.