lecture 15 - Attachment

Question 1

What is Freud’s theory of attachment?

Answer 1

Drive-reduction. Babies have drives (e.g. want food) and satisfying these drives leads to pleasure. Mum becomes associated with pleasure, and so the baby becomes attached to the mum.

Question 2

What is imprinting according to Lorenz?

Answer 2

the newborns of most species seek proximity to the first object that they encounter. However, this is not so much the case with humans.

Question 3

What did Harlow (1958) find with his Rhesus monkeys?

Answer 3

that contact comfort is at least as significant as need for nourishment in the monkeys.

Question 4

What did Bowlby discover about institutionalised children?

Answer 4

that with institutionalised children, those who had little contact with mum had a 37% death rate compared to 0% in those with regular contact with their mum.

Question 5

How did Bowlby suggest that we develop attachment?

Answer 5

that attachment is developed in humans by at first identifying the primary caregiver, and then getting close to them (proximity-seeking)

Question 6

How did Ainsworth measure attachment in his Strange Situation (1978) study?

Answer 6

through a series of separations and reunions between the child and primary caregiver.

Question 7

What are Ainsworth’s (1978) attachment types?

Answer 7

Avoidant, Secure, Resistant/Ambivalent, and Disorganised. 70% were Secure.

Question 8

What is an internal working model?

Answer 8

a set of expectations about attachment figures, which is less concerned with physical proximity.

Question 9

What are the four types of internal working model?

Answer 9

secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, and disorganised.

Question 10

How does parental sensitivity produce secure attachment?

Answer 10

Consistently responsive parental sensitivity produces secure attachment

Question 11

How does parental sensitivity produce resistant attachment?

Answer 11

Inconsistent parental sensitivity produces resistant attachment

Question 12

How does parental sensitivity produce avoidant attachment?

Answer 12

Over-stimulating parental sensitivity produces avoidant attachment style

Question 13

How does parental stress / SES affect attachment?

Answer 13

Stress and SES affect parental sensitivity, which in turn affect attachment

Question 14

How does daycare affect attachment?

Answer 14

Belsky (2007) found that more than 20 hours a week in child care makes a child more likely to be insecurely attached.

Question 15

How do infant characteristics affect attachment?

Answer 15

Infant temperament may affect attachment type

Question 16

How does the parents’ internal working model affect attachment?

Answer 16

The parent’s Internal Working Model (measured by adult attachment interview) is strongly related to the child’s attachment security.

Question 17

What are the long term effects of secure attachment?

Answer 17

In the long-run, secure attachment produces better adjusted individuals, with better social skills.

Question 18

What are the long term effects of insecure-avoidant attachment?

Answer 18

In the long-run, insecure-avoidant attachment produces individuals with less social support and other detriments e.g. more risky sexual behaviours

Question 19

Does attachment type remain consistent in adulthood?

Answer 19

20. Waters et al., (2000) found that 72% kept same attachment classification in adulthood, suggesting attachment type is consistent through adulthood. Internal working model is hard to change as it is based on expectations and patterns.

Question 20

What is the first attachment phase according to Bowlby? (1/4)

Answer 20

Preattachment (to 6 weeks).

Question 21

What is the second attachment phase according to Bowlby? (2/4)

Answer 21

Early Attachment (to 7 months) child orients to main caregivers.

Question 22

What is the third attachment phase according to Bowlby? (3/4)

Answer 22

Separation protest (to 2 years) child actively seeks contact with caregivers, gets separation anxiety, and uses caregiver/s as secure base for exploration.

Question 23

What is the final attachment phase according to Bowlby? (4/4)

Answer 23

Goal-Corrected stage (2 years and beyond) child negotiates with the caregiver, accommodate his/her needs, and both share responsibility for maintaining contact.