Attachment Flashcards

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1
Q

State the animal studies for attachment

A

Lorenz’s goslings

Harlow monkeys

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2
Q

Method for Lorenz’s goslings

A
  • Split a group of 12 goslings into 2 groups of 6
  • 6 were born naturally with their mother, other group of 6 were born in an incubator with Lorenz, making sure he was the first large moving object the goslings saw therefore Lorenz would be their imprint and the mother would be the other 6’s imprint
  • Lorenz marked them so he knew who were born naturally and who were born in incubator
  • He then put all 12 goslings in incubator, the mother outside on one side and Lorenz on the other
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3
Q

Results for Lorenz’s goslings

A
  • Immediately after birth, the naturally born followed the mother, and the incubator hatched goslings followed Lorenz
  • When all 12 goslings were put together, the 6 went to the mother and other 6 went to Lorenz
  • Lorenz notes, imprinting would only occur within a period of few hours (Critical period)
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4
Q

Conclusion for Lorenz goslings

A

Shows attachment is formed through security through imprinting, for goslings

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5
Q

Evaluation for Lorenz goslings

A
  • The fact imprinting is irreversible suggests it’s biological
  • Attachment behaviour of geese is not necessarily the same as humans
  • The fact imprinting has a set time period, influenced Bowlby’s idea of a critical period in human babies
  • Ethical issues, as they’re animals therefore can’t give informed consent
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6
Q

Method for Harlows monkeys

A
  • 16 monkeys split into 2 groups of 8
  • Both groups had a surrogate mother, one wired other group had a cloth mother to feed off of
  • Amount of time spent with each mother recorded
  • Monkeys frightened with a loud noise to test for mother preference when stressed
  • Larger cage to test monkeys exploration
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7
Q

Results for Harlows monkeys

A
  • ALL Monkeys preferred contact with cloth mother, monkeys with the wired mother only went to it for food
  • When frightened, all monkeys clung to cloth mother for safety
  • In larger cage, monkeys with cloth mother explored more
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8
Q

Conclusion for Harlows monkeys

A

Monkeys form an attachment through contact-comfort, not from food

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9
Q

Evaluation of Harlows monkeys

A
  • Study involves animals, therefore cannot generalise
  • Involving animals, therefore cannot ask for informed consent, therefore ethical issues are present
  • More ethical issues, as baby monkeys are separated causing stress to them
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10
Q

2 explanations of attachment

A

1) The learning theory

2) Bowlbys monotropic theory

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11
Q

What is the learning theory

A

The belief that attachments develop though conditioning processes

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12
Q

What are the two types of learning theory that apply to development of attachments

A

Classical conditioning

Operant conditioning

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13
Q

What is the learning theory also known as

A

Cupboard love theory

  • as cupboard contains food
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14
Q

What is classical conditioning

A

Occurs when a response produced naturally by a stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus

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15
Q

Explain how classical conditioning is used to form attachments

A
  • Attachments are learned by the stimulus of food(UCS), producing pleasure(UCR), being paired with a caregiver(NS).
  • After lots of presentations of caregiver and food being paired, infant learns to associate pleasure(CR) solely with caregiver(CS) without any need for food
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16
Q

Explain how classical conditioning is used to form attachments

Simple version

A

Before learning= food(UCS) > pleasure(UCR)

During learning= food(UCS) + caregiver(NS)—> pleasure(UCR)

After learning= caregiver(CS) > pleasure(CR)

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17
Q

What’s operant conditioning based on in forming an attachment

A

Based on Thorndikes ‘Law of effect’, where any action that has a pleasurable action will be repeated

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18
Q

What are pleasurable outcomes known as

A

Reinforcements

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19
Q

What are reinforcements

A

They strengthen the behaviour, making it more likely to occur again

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20
Q

What positive reinforcement

A

Involves receiving something pleasurable for performing a desired behaviour

E.g pocket money for doing chores

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21
Q

What’s negative reinforcement

A

Involves not receiving something non-pleasurable for performing a desired behaviour

E.g. Not being grounded for tidying room

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22
Q

What happens when behaviour is positively reinforced

A

It’s repeated

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23
Q

What happens when behaviour results in punishment

A

It’s unlikely to be repeated

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24
Q

Explain how operant conditioning is used to form an attachment

A
  • Hungry infant feels uncomfortable and is driven to reduce discomfort.
  • When fed it feels pleasure(reward)
  • Food is a primary reinforcer as it directly satisfies hunger
  • Caregiver is a secondary reinforcer as he/she is associated with primary reinforcer (food)
  • So attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward (food)
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25
Q

Explain how operant conditioning is used to form an attachment

A

Baby hungry —>Crying—>Food from caregiver

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26
Q

What does Bowlbys monotropic theory suggest

A

Children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments, as this will help them survive

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27
Q

What’s the determinant for attachment according to Bowlby

A

Care and responsiveness, not food

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28
Q

What are the 5 key features for Bowlbys monotropic theory

A

1) Innate
2) Social releasers
3) Monotropy
4) Internal working model
5) Critical period

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29
Q

What does

1) Innate, mean

A

Babies are pre-programmed biologically with behaviours to attach

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30
Q

What does

2) Social releasers, mean

A

Infant produces innate Social releaser behaviours such as crying and smiling to stimulate caregiving from parents.

Determinant of attachment is not food but care and responsiveness

31
Q

What does

3) Monotropy, mean

A

Attachment to one caregiver who is most important

32
Q

What does

4) Internal working model, mean

A

Child’s relationship with a primary caregiver (Monotropy) provides an internal working model which is a template for future relationships

33
Q

What is the

5) Critical period

A

Critical period for a human baby to develop an attachment is up to 2.5 years old

34
Q

Evaluation of Bowlbys monotropic theory

A

1) Harlows monkeys supports Bowlbys theory stating monkeys prioritise comfort over food, similar to babies
2) Unethical to separate infants from their caregiver, so animal studies are useful for insight in forming attachments
3) 39% of babies form an attachment with the father as well. Challenging the monotropy stage of Bowlbys theory

35
Q

What was Ainsworth assessing in the strange situation

A

Assesses the security of attachment between infant and mother

36
Q

Who were the participants in the strange situation

A

Infant and mother

The stranger isn’t one as she is a confederate, and we are assessing actions of mother and infant

37
Q

Child experiences 8 situations whilst playing

A

1) parent and infant introduced to room
2) parent and infant alone
3) stranger enters, parent leaves
4) first separation episode
5) first reunion episode. Parent comforts, then leaves again
6) second separation episode, infants alone
7) stranger enters
8) second reunion, stranger leaves, parent enters

38
Q

The 4 aspects of child behaviour observed

A

1) amount of exploration
2) separation anxiety
3) stranger anxiety
4) child’s reunion behaviour with its caregiver

39
Q

What were the three groups the children were categorised into from ainsworths strange situation

A
Secure (70%)
Insecure avoidant (15%)
Insecure resistant (15%)
40
Q

What was:
Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour, parenting style

For a secure attached child

A
  • Separation anxiety= High
  • Stranger anxiety= High
  • Reunion behaviour= Pleased to see caregiver, easily comforted
  • Parenting style= Can respond to infants needs
41
Q

What was:
Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour, parenting style

For an insecure avoidant attached child

A
  • Separation anxiety= Low
  • Stranger anxiety= Low
  • Reunion behaviour= Indifferent, doesn’t matter if caregiver is there or not
  • Parenting style= Uncaring
42
Q

What was:
Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour, parenting style

For an insecure resistant attached child

A
  • Separation anxiety= Extremely High
  • Stranger anxiety= Extremely High
  • Reunion behaviour= Reject mother on return, then becomes clingy
  • Parenting style= Overly attentive
43
Q

If attachment types were same as all cultures, what type of attachment should dominate in all cultures

A

Secure attachment

With equal amount of insecure avoidant and insecure resistant

44
Q

Why might attachment types vary across cultures

A

Because child-rearing styles vary across different cultures

45
Q

Why else might attachment types vary across cultures

A

There are cross-cultural differences as to how different attachment types are regarded.

E.g. Reebye et al, found in Britain we view insecure-avoidant attachment negatively, as it’s associated with weak attachments to people, however in Germany its valued as its associated with being independent

46
Q

What attachment type doe Germany have more of than Britain

A

Insecure-avoidant

47
Q

Van Ijzendoorm-meta analysis of the strange situation

What was aim of study

A
  • Assess extent of inter-(between) and intra-(within) cultural differences in attachment types
48
Q

What was method of Van Ijzendoorm study

What were the results

A

Method= Meta-analysis of 32 studies from 8 countries

Results= - From all cultures, except Germany, most common attachment type was secure
- Insecure avoidant were found more in western countries

49
Q

Conclusion of Van Ijzendoorm study

A
  • There’s a difference in pattern of cross-cultural attachment types across cultures
  • Overall, patterns of attachment types were similar to what Ainsworth found
50
Q

Evaluation of Ainsworth strange situation

A

S- Standardised procedures, therefore reliable and easily replicated
L- Sampling bias, middle class, white, American mothers were used, therefore hard to generalise
L- Ethical issues, baby placed under distress as left by itself, breaching ethical guidelines. However, placed under no more stress than real life
L- Demand characteristics, limit opportunity to generalise results

51
Q

What is Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation hypothesis

A

Explanation of consequences of disrupting attachment bonds that sees serious, permanent damage to children’s development as inevitable

52
Q

What’s separation

A

Short term disruption of an attachment bond

E.g. day care, left with a babysitter

53
Q

What’s deprivation

A

Long-term disruption of an attachment bond

E.g. parents divorcing, prison, or death

54
Q

What’s privation

A

Never having formed an attachment bond

55
Q

Bowlby described distress caused by short term separation as, 3 terms, what are they and describe them

A
  • Protest= Immediate reaction to separation- crying, kicking
  • Despair= Little response to offers of comfort; child comforts itself, like thumb sucking
  • Detachment= Child responds to people again, but treats everyone warily. Signs of anger and rejection when caregiver returns is common
56
Q

What’s a research to do with short term separation (Douglas 1975)

A

Separations of less than a week for below 4 year olds, correlated with behavioural difficulties, supporting MDH

57
Q

One evaluation point of short term separation

A
  • More securely attached children will suffer less from distress when separated
58
Q

Research for long-term deprivation (Furstenberg and Kiernan) (2001)

A

Found children experiencing divorce score lower than children with married parents on academic performance, supporting MDH

59
Q

One evaluation point for long-term deprivation

A
  • long-term deprivation has a greater negative effect on children’s development than short-term separation
60
Q

Research on privation (Freud and Dann 1951)

A
  • 6 children placed in a nazi concentration camp, orphaned at a few months of age. Gradually became attached to there carers, not supporting Bowlby’s MDH
61
Q

One evaluation point for privation

A
  • Bowlbys viewpoint that negative effects of MDH are irreversible seem overstated. Children who’s privation experiences were followed by positive experiences made good recoveries
62
Q

What is institutionalisation

Institutionalised children behaviours

A

Childcare provided by orphanages and children’s homes

  • Attention seeking, retarded cognitive abilities and underweight
63
Q

What is disinhibited attachment

What is this the result of

A

Disinhibtent attachment is where the child will attach to any adult. Characterised by clingy, attention-seeking behaviour

  • Disinhibitent attachment is caused by institutionalisation
64
Q

Rutters Romanian orphan studies

What’s the method

Including the 3 conditions

A
  • method= - Assess whether loving care would overturn effects of privation
  • IV was age of adoption
  • Longitudinal Study, incorporating quasi experiment.
  • Condition 1= Adopted before 6 months
  • Condition 2= Adopted between 6 months and 2 years
  • Condition 3= Adopted after 2 years
  • DV was children’s level of cognitive functioning
  • 111 Romanian orphans measured, 52 British orphans measured as a control group, to see whether negative effects were due to separation from carers or the institutional conditions in Romanian orphanages
65
Q

Results of Romanian orphan studies

A
  • 50% of Romanian orphans we retarded in cognitive functioning and underweight at initial assessment. Control group didn’t show these deficits
  • Age 4, Romanian orphans showed improvements in physical and cognitive development. Orphans adopted before 6 months doing as well as British
66
Q

Conclusions of Romanian orphan studies

A
  • Negative effects of institutionalisation can be overcome by loving care
  • Separation from carers alone will not cause developmental effects (evident from British orphans)
67
Q

2 Evaluation point for Romanian orphan studies

A
  • Small samples of children, difficult to generalise
  • Only assessed up to 4 years old, don’t know long-term effects of institutionalisation
  • Rutter states critical period for humans is 6 months, challenging Bowlby who states it’s 2.5 years
68
Q

What’s internal working model

A

Infants primary attachment forms a template for future relationships

69
Q

Evidence suggests that children who form attachments to each other early in life will not…..

A

Go on to form sexual relationships with each other

70
Q

Youngblade and Belksy (1992) research on childhood relationships

A

3-5 year olds securely attached children are more likely to be curious, self-confident, and get along with other children

71
Q

One evaluation point for childhood relationships (internal working model)

A
  • Deterministic, young relationships determine adult relationships
72
Q

What does good child attachment lead to in adult hood

A

Good, quality adult relationships

73
Q

Is it possible to develop secure adult relationships, for those who fail to achieve secure attachments in childhood

A

Yes it is possible

74
Q

What parenting style would their children have

A

The children will adopt the parenting style of their parents