Social development Flashcards
Parents: attachment
children’s earliest social relationship is with?
Primary caregiver is a child’s most significant early social
relationship.
what did psychoanalysts find with children in orphanages?
• Mid 20th century: psychoanalysts noticed that children
reared in orphanages had compromised development.
• Emotionally unstable.
• “lacking in conscience”
• Mentally impaired.
Describe attachment children have with primary caregiver
for this to occur, attachment needs to be
A desire for proximity to an attachment figure.
• A sense of security derived from caregiver’s presence.
• Feelings of distress when caregiver is absent.
dynamic: it involves **reciprocal interaction **
between child and caregiver.
where did the first empirical evidence of attachment come from?
Harlow
Perceived security, not food, is the crucial element in
forming attachment relationships in primates – Harlow
called this contact comfort.
what did bowlby propose?
BOWLBY (1969)
Proposed an evolutionary theory of attachment.
• Young animals imprint on figures during sensitive periods early in
life (Lorenz, 1935).
• This confers an evolutionary advantage:
a vulnerable animal that stays with its
attachment figure stays safe and is
nourished.
• Bowlby argued same mechanism
drives attachment in humans.
in what years does attachment develop?
first 2 years of life
describe development of attachment up to 5-6 months
Newborns have general preference for social stimuli (e.g., faces).
• Visual recognition of primary caregiver at 3 months.
• At 5-6 months recognise primary caregiver from across room
Development of attachment
what happens during 6-7 months?
infants show separation anxiety.
• Emerges at same time cross-culturally.
• Blind children show comparable pattern.
• Suggest maturational basis for attachment.
are there individual differences in response to separation?
yes there are
what did Ainsworth (1973) develop
the Strange Situation
procedure
- Mother leaves young child (12 – 18 months) in a room alone.
- Child joined briefly by a stranger.
- Mother returns and greets the child.
initially become distressed; how they react
when mother returns determines their attachment
what are 4 attachment styles, which is most common
- Secure (approx. 65%)
- Avoidant
- Ambivalent (Resistant)
- Disorganised
describe secure attachment style
65% May or may not be distressed by separation; on reunion they
actively approach their parent for comfort and support, reducing
distress.
describe avoidant attachment style
21%Usually not distressed by separation from parent; on reunion are
slow to seek comfort from parent.
describe Ambivalent (Resistant) attachment style
14% Usually distressed by separation; on reunion they approach parent
for support but display anger and resistance to comforting.
describe Disorganised attachment style
unclear estimate of percentage
Display greatest amount of insecurity; on reunion show confused
behaviours such as looking away while parent holding them or
dazed facial expressions.
what happens to attachment behaviour once child becomes independent?
Attachment is fluid across middle childhood in response to
significant life events (e.g., starting school, divorce).
• Attachment figures change throughout lifespan.
what happens when there is problematic attachment
Insecure attachment => emotional and behavioural difficulties in
childhood and adolescence.
what are two subsequent significant sources of peer interaction/ relationships?
Children have two significant but different sources of
peer interaction:
friends and siblings.
what are majority of friendships
same-sex peers.
• A mere 5% of friendships are cross-sex.
what may be the influence of same-gender peers?
Partly due to socialisation – children are encouraged to engage in
gender-consistent activities.
• Partly genetic: twin studies show moderate to substantial genetic
influence in ‘sex-typed’ behaviours (Iervolino et al., 2005).
• Boys: physical play; Girls: fantasy/pretend play
at what age does friendship emerge? what are features?
Friendships marked by **commitment and reciprocity **
(sharing, give and take) emerge around 3 years.
• Very stable even at this young age.
how does friendship change through development?
Young children (approx. 6 years and under): friends are other
children “who given you things or let you play with their toys”.
• Middle childhood (7 – 12-years): understand friendship as an
enduring source of companionship.
• Adolescents: understand friendship as an intimate relationship.
• Girls disclose more than boys, who typically disclose to girls.
sibilings share how much of the same DNA
50%
how can sibling relationship be paradoxical?
• Compete for resources (e.g., parental attention, food, family
wealth).
how can birth of sibling be traumatic for young children?
increased dependency, anxiety, bed-wetting.
• Common to see behavioural “regressions” (e.g., toilet accidents).
• Hostility to newborn child.
Birthorder effects
Describe 1st born
undivided attention of parents,
lack of siblings =
less exposure to peers
birthorder effects
2nd child
2nd born:
- parental attention divided
- sibling interaction
- parents more experienced.
birthorder effects
3rd child
3rd born:
- parental attention divided further
- higher sibling interaction,
- parents more experienced.
what was suggested in studies regarding birthorder effects?
Changes in family dynamics => decreases in IQ.
• Zajonc & Markus (1975): Intellectual environment diluted as family
has more children.
what was the confound in the research that found lower IQ in later born children?
All past studies used cross-sectional data.
• People of different birth orders from different families were being
compared against each other.
• Better design is to compare siblings from the same family.
what study reinforces birthorder effects have no influence on IQ
Wichman et al. (2006): effect disappears when siblings
compared.
• There is no effect of birth order on IQ.
