Paper 1 - Attachment Flashcards

Question

How do biological differences affect the role of the father?

Answer 1

Oestrogen in women enhances emotional & caregiving behaviour Oxytocin (bonding hormone) is higher in mothers (esp. during birth & breastfeeding) These differences suggest fathers may be less naturally sensitive caregivers

Answer 2

Observed 4-month-old babies interacting with caregivers: 30 - PC mothers 30 - PC fathers 30 - SC fathers PC fathers spent more time smiling, interacting, & holding their babies than SC fathers Fathers can adopt reciprocity & interactional synchrony when in the PC role

Answer 3

Geiger, 1996

Answer 4

Fathers are more of a playmate than a caregiver Father-child play is more exciting & stimulating compared to mothers’ more nurturing role Quality of father’s play is linked to child’s attachment in adolescence

Answer 5

Focuses on Western, nuclear family structures In collectivist cultures, fathers may be more involved in caregiving Assumes gender roles in attachment, ignoring variations in modern parenting

Answer 6

Hormonal differences (e.g., oxytocin & oestrogen) suggest men are less suited to caregiving BUT: Field (1978) shows fathers can adopt sensitive caregiving behaviours Ignores social & cultural influences on father-child attachment

Answer 7

Imprinting: Instinctive attachment to the first moving object seen Two groups: Control group hatched with mother → followed her Experimental group hatched in an incubator → imprinted on Lorenz Irreversible behaviour – geese followed him even when mixed with other geese Critical period: 12-18 hours to imprint, must imprint by 30 hours

Answer 8

Supports Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory (attachment as an adaptive, innate behaviour) Supports the idea of a critical period in attachment formation

Answer 9

Humans are more emotionally complex than geese Evidence from Romanian orphans suggests humans have a sensitive period, not a strict critical period

Answer 10

Baby monkeys raised with two surrogate mothers: Cloth mother (warm, soft, no food) Wire mother (cold, hard, provided food) Monkeys spent 17 hours a day with cloth mother, <1 hour with wire mother When frightened, ran to cloth mother for comfort Suggested attachment is based on comfort & security, not food

Answer 11

Social deficits – monkeys were aggressive & struggled with social interaction “Motherless mothers” – female monkeys neglected/abused their offspring Critical period of 90 days – attachment must form, or effects are irreversible

Answer 12

Challenged behaviourist ideas (food as basis of attachment) Supports Bowlby’s theory – secure attachment provides a base for exploration

Answer 13

Social workers now recognise the importance of early bonding and early intervention, recognise signs of neglect and form attachment within 90 days before long term effects are irreversible

Answer 14

Severe psychological harm – monkeys became socially dysfunctional Long-term suffering – isolated monkeys showed permanent effects Harlow admitted cruelty – “12 months of isolation almost obliterated the animals socially”

Answer 15

Both studies support Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory Lorenz: Attachment is innate Harlow: Contact comfort > food Both show a critical period Lorenz: 12-30 hours (geese) Harlow: 90 days (monkeys)

Answer 16

Food (UCS) → Pleasure (UCR) Mother (NS) + Food (UCS) → Pleasure (UCR) Mother (CS) → Pleasure (CR) → Attachment forms

Answer 17

Baby: Positive reinforcement (food) Negative reinforcement (removal of hunger) Mother Positive reinforcement (baby’s happiness) Negative reinforcement (stopping crying)

Answer 18

Schaffer & Emerson: Babies attach to responsive caregivers, not just the ones who feed them Harlow: Monkeys preferred contact comfort over food Reductionist: Ignores interactional synchrony & responsiveness (Isabella & Belsky)

Answer 19

Based on an established theory - this is because behaviourism is very well researched and very scientific, applying this to attachment behaviour is seen as a plausible explanation as it provides a clear and straightforward explanation of how attachments are formed through its emphasis on the role of environmental factors on behaviour

Answer 20

Adaptive (innate for survival) Social releasers (cute behaviours that trigger caregiving) Critical period (0-2.5 years) Monotropy (one special bond) Internal Working Model (template for future relationships)

Answer 21

Lorenz: Imprinting is innate (supports evolution) Harlow: Poor caregiving from motherless mothers (supports Internal Working Model) Tronick et al - Babies showed distress when social releasers were ignored

Answer 22

Schaffer & Emerson: Multiple attachments form (contradicts monotropy) Cultural bias: Some cultures rely on multiple caregivers from birth Social sensitivity: Blames absent parents for later issues in life

Answer 23

A controlled, structured observation designed to assess the quality of attachment between an infant and their caregiver.

Answer 24

Proximity Seeking – How closely the infant stays with the mother. Exploration & Secure Base – How much the infant explores the room. Stranger Anxiety – Infant's reaction when a stranger enters. Separation Anxiety – Infant's reaction when the mother leaves. Response to Reunion – Infant's reaction when the mother returns.

Answer 25

Secure (70%) – Moderate separation & stranger anxiety, uses mother as a secure base, easily comforted. Insecure Avoidant (15%) – Explores freely, low stranger/separation anxiety, ignores mother on reunion. Insecure Resistant (15%) – Clingy, high stranger/separation anxiety, resists comfort on reunion.

Answer 26

Controlled & Standardised – 8 episodes of 3 minutes each, same behavioural categories, allows replication - aligned with principles of science. High Reliability – Bick et al. (2012) found 0.94 inter-observer reliability, little observer bias, but observing infants is always difficult as we can never be sure if behaviours are deliberate or not.

Answer 27

Low Ecological Validity – Artificial setting may not reflect real-life attachment behaviours

Answer 28

Cultural issues – 100 American infants were tested and therefore lacks cultural relevance. As a result, the strange situation can be argued to be limited to a part of a specific part of a westernised culture and not be as effective in other cultures.

Answer 29

Meta Analysis 32 studies, 8 countries, ~2000 infants, all using Strange Situation.

Answer 30

Germany – Highest Insecure Avoidant (independence encouraged). Japan – Lowest Insecure Avoidant (constant proximity to caregivers). Israel – Highest Insecure Resistant (kibbutzim = little stranger exposure). UK – Lowest Insecure Resistant.

Answer 31

1.5x greater variation within cultures than between them Secure attachment may be innate, but cultural practices shape attachment types.

Answer 32

Large Sample Size (2000 infants) – Increases validity. Standardised Methodology – Strange Situation used in all studies, allowing direct comparisons.

Answer 33

Unrepresentative Samples – Only 2 Japanese studies, attachment patterns differ in rural vs. urban areas (Izendoorn et al., 2001) Temporal Validity Issues – Globalisation may have changed attachment patterns over time. Cultural Bias in Attachment Theories – Independence (valued in Germany) is seen as avoidant, which may not be a negative trait in that culture.

Answer 34

The idea that prolonged separation from the primary caregiver during the critical period (first 2 years) can cause irreversible damage to emotional and cognitive development.

Answer 35

Affectionless psychopathy – Inability to feel guilt or empathy, leading to antisocial behavior. Delinquency – Higher likelihood of criminal behavior. Lower cognitive abilities – Reduced IQ and academic difficulties. Problems forming relationships – Difficulty in future attachments.

Answer 36

To investigate the link between maternal deprivation and delinquency.

Answer 37

88 children from Bowlby’s clinic (opportunity sample). 44 thieves vs 44 emotionally disturbed non-thieves (control group). Matched for age and IQ to reduce extraneous variables. Background reports analyzed.

Answer 38

14 out of 44 thieves were categorized as affectionless psychopaths. 12 of these 14 experienced prolonged maternal separation in early years. Only 2 out of 44 in the control group had experienced similar separations.

Answer 39

The more separations a child experiences, the worse the long-term effects.

Answer 40

The claim that the consequences of early maternal deprivation cannot be undone—“Complete recovery is impossible.”

Answer 41

Practical applications – Led to maternity leave policies (e.g., 52 weeks in the UK, later paternity leave) and the WHO recognizing the importance of maternal care.

Answer 42

No third control group of non-referred children – Makes it difficult to isolate maternal deprivation as the cause of affectionless psychopathy - Bowlby himself acknowledged this.

Answer 43

He knew what he was looking for, increasing the risk of confirmation bias. Mothers also provided retrospective self-report data, which may be inaccurate.

Answer 44

Communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu banned contraception and taxed childless couples, leading to overpopulation and child neglect.

Answer 45

To investigate whether the effects of extreme deprivation could be reversed with a high-quality upbringing.

Answer 46

Children adopted before 6 months showed near-complete recovery by age 4. Children adopted after 6 months suffered long-term issues such as low IQ and social difficulties.

Answer 47

Quasi-autism – Obsessive interests and difficulty in social situations. Disinhibited attachment – Lack of stranger anxiety, seeking comfort from anyone. Inattention & overactivity – Poor impulse control, hyperactivity. Cognitive impairment – Lower IQ (mean IQ of 77 at age 2).

Answer 48

Practical applications – Led to key worker policies in institutions, ensuring children have stable attachments.

Answer 49

Chugani et al. (2001) found Romanian orphans had reduced brain activity in areas linked to impulse control, attention, and social behaviour.

Answer 50

Extreme sample – The harsh conditions of Romanian orphanages may not reflect the typical effects of institutionalization.

Answer 51

The study only followed children up to age 15 – later recovery in adulthood is unknown.

Answer 52

It may create a self-fulfilling prophecy for adopted children, making them believe they are destined to struggle.

Answer 53

A cognitive framework from early attachment experiences that shapes future relationships by creating expectations about how others will respond to us.

Answer 54

The primary attachment relationship serves as a template for future friendships, romantic relationships, and parenting.

Answer 55

Kerns (1994) Secure attachment → More positive relationships, better cooperation with adults, and better emotional regulation. Insecure attachment → More social anxiety, difficulty maintaining relationships, and fewer social skills.

Answer 56

Correlation ≠ causation – The studies to support the effect of the IWM in forming future friendly, romantic and parental relationships were purely correlational studies and lack control over extraneous variables which can influence future relationships.

Answer 57

Real-world applications – Schools can use attachment-based interventions to support children struggling with friendships.

Answer 58

To investigate the link between early attachment types and adult romantic relationships.

Answer 59

100-item questionnaire in a local newspaper. 620 responses analyzed. Participants self-reported their childhood attachment and current romantic experiences.

Answer 60

Secure attachment → More likely to have long-lasting, healthy relationships. Avoidant attachment → Feared closeness, believed love doesn’t last. Resistant attachment → Fell in love quickly, became needy.

Answer 61

Self-report bias – Participants may have misremembered or exaggerated their relationships due to social desirability bias.

Answer 62

- Attachment is a difficult concept to operationalise, it can be hard to define it varies across time periods and cultures. It can be hard to observe and measure. --- Attachment research is hard to conduct, infants present a particular challenge as they are nonverbal. Researchers have additional responsibilities regarding ethical treatment of children. --- Attachment research is susceptible to bias; researchers may have their own opinions about attachment behaviours based on their own attachment experiences. Participants are likely to exhibit ‘social desirability bias’. + Attachment is a very important issue. Understanding attachment has important benefits for individuals, families and society. Early attachment has effects for later life so important to understand.