Lecture 6 - The Sensitivity Hypothesis Flashcards
Identify two reasons why some infants develop secure attachments to caregivers?
Maternal sensitivity and the infant temperament
What is the meaning of sensitive responsiveness?
An adequate perception of and appropriate and prompt responses to infants attachment signals
What is the temperament hypothesis?
Individual differences in attachment reflect biological differences in individual temperament
What is the sensitivity hypothesis?
Secure relationships largely result from sensitive, responsive caregiving and insecure relationships largely result from insensitive caregiving
What is the internal working model?
Mental representations of the self, caregiver and their relationship
How can an internal working model benefit an individual’s attachment success?
It allows individuals to predict future interactions and adjust proximity seeking attempts without having to rethink each one
What is the adult attachment interview?
An interview that taps into the conscious and unconscious elements of the internal working model and assesses the individuals state of mind regarding past, present and future attachment experiences
How do relationships that caregivers had with their parents in childhood affect their relationships with their children?
Caregivers tend to recreate relationships with their children that replicate the working models of their own relationships with their parents in childhood
What percentage of infants had the comparable attachment classification as their mother?
64%
What are the three attachment categories of mothers?
Autonomous, dismissing and preoccupied
Describe the features of an autonomous mother and what attachment style it corresponds to in their child
The mother is not dealing with any unresolved concerns about her own experience and thus is able to be sensitive to her child’s communications, resulting in a secure attachment
Describe the features of a dismissing mother and what attachment style it corresponds to in their child
The mother is reluctant to acknowledge her own attachment needs and thus is insensitive and unresponsive to her child’s needs resulting in an insecure-avoidant attachment
Describe the features of a preoccupied mother and what attachment style it corresponds to in their child
The mother is confused about her attachment history and thus is inconsistent in her interactions with her child resulting in an insecure-ambivalent attachment
Identify four other caregiver and environmental factors that may affect attachment
The caregivers psychological attributes, the social support network, family circumstances and genetic factors
What sort of disorders may impede the formation of attachments?
Autistic spectrum disorders
