Week 3

Question 1

Is parent gender correlated with type of attachment?

Answer 1

No difference between mother and father - Secure attachment with fathers (65.5% - Fox et al, 1991) and mothers (61% - Pinquart et al, 2022)

Question 2

Is there any correlation between adopted children’s attachment?

Answer 2

Some evidence of lower levels of security among adopted children over 12 months; but no difference under 12 months

Question 3

What are the three gaps within caregiver-attachment research?

Answer 3

1. Grandparent child attachment
2. Multi-generational households
3. Parents gender/sexuality

Question 4

What is the sensitivity hypotheses?

Answer 4

Caregivers sensitivity to infants attachment cues and communications is the primary environmental determinant

Question 5

What is sensitivity?

Answer 5

Responsiveness, understanding needs and making sure those needs are met

Question 6

How do we establish causal relations?

Answer 6

1. Observed variables must co-vary (covariation)
2. Covariation must not be spurious (non-spuriousness)
3. Causal factors must precede outcomes (temporality)

Question 7

How do you know what study design to pick?

Answer 7

Cross sectional = Describe a phenomenon
Longitudinal = Identify naturally occurring predictors
Intervention = Identifying possible causes of change

Question 8

What are the difference between the 4 longitudinal designs?

Answer 8

1. Association between things over time; only co-vary
2. Measuring attachment at earlier time point too; co-vary and non-spurious
3. Working out whether attachment predicts sensitivity or sensitivity predicts attachment; co-vary, non-spurious and temporality
4. Pre test (of sensitivity/security) > training/control > post test (of sensitivity/security); co-vary, non-spurious and temporality

Question 9

Is parental sensitivity associated with child attachment security?

Answer 9

Ainsworth et al (1978) = large correlation between sensitive caregiving in the home and attachment security

Question 10

What is temperament?

Answer 10

Individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation; It is heritable in infancy and toddlerhood

Question 11

How can temperament affect your attachments?

Answer 11

It may affect what caregiving you receive (e.g. lots of crying = less sensitive caregiving); it may also effect the baby’s reaction to the strange situation

Question 12

What do recent meta-analyses show us about the links between attachment and temperament?

Answer 12

Significant association, but results do change when we look at different types of attachment (insecure avoidant lower than secure) and when using different measures of attachment (AQS higher than SS)

Question 13

Is parental sensitivity an environmental influence on child attachment security?

Answer 13

There is an association between sensitivity and attachment, however, this association is not confounded = non-spurious

Question 14

Is parental sensitivity a causal influence?

Answer 14

Its possible to improve caregiver sensitivity, which can cause changes in attachment; however, there is a small effect = not primary determinant

Question 15

Do individual differences in parental sensitivity affect attachment?

Answer 15

Adult attachment security is related to their own caregiving to their child -> no difference of biological vs adopted children, however, there is a small effect size

Question 16

Name 3 critics of sensitivity

Answer 16

1. Other aspects of parenting are associated with attachment security e.g. mind-mindedness
2. Focus on secure/insecure distinctions and not whether there are differences within these groups
3. Universal? Mainly in Western countries where sensitive caregiving is more common than in non-western

Question 17

What is competence?

Answer 17

An individuals ability to exert control over their life, cope effectively with problems and make positive changes in behaviour and environment

Question 18

Give examples of internalising and externalising disorders

Answer 18

Internalising = anxiety, depression
Externalising = anti-social behaviour e.g. hyperactivity

Question 19

Why might attachment matter for mental health?

Answer 19

Proposed that an infant has a working model from their caregiver, which helps them when they receive a stressor. This WM includes your expectation of other people and how other people act when you are stressed = foundation of later mental health

Question 20

Which attachment types are linked to mental health issues?

Answer 20

Insecure-Resistant = Internalising
Insecure-Avoidant = Externalising
Disorganised = Internalising/Externalising

Question 21

Is there an overall link between attachment and later mental health?

Answer 21

There is an association, but it is weak and non-specific

Question 22

What are examples of prosocial behaviour?

Answer 22

Attending to the welfare of others, empathetic responding, co-operation

Question 23

Is there a link between attachment and social competence?

Answer 23

There is an association, but not primary.

Relation between child and primary caregiver is seen to set child up for relationships beyond the family

Question 24

What are considerations we have to take into account when using meta-analyses as evidence?

Answer 24

1. Confounding factors that could explain outcomes have not been considered (may be spurious)
2. Focus on biological parents = potential genetic cofounds
3. Studies aren’t ‘true’ longitudinal designs - no baseline measure of mental health
4. Lack of specificity i.e. is insecure attachment just a general risk factor?

Question 25

Is there a way to improve parental sensitivity?

Answer 25

An intervention can improve parental sensitivity and therefore child attachment security; however, it has no effect on intervention on child externalising