Attachment

Question 1

What is Attachment?

Answer 1

An enduring bond formed with a significant other

Question 2

What is Separation protest

Answer 2

When someone shows distress and upset upon separation from significant other

Question 3

What is stranger anxiety?

Answer 3

When an individual shows distress in presence of an unfamiliar person

Question 4

What is a secure attachment?

Answer 4

A relationship based on trust and security

Question 5

What is an insecure avoidant attachment?

Answer 5

A relationship in which child is independent of caregiver

Question 6

What is an insecure ambivalent attachment?

Answer 6

A relationship where the child is clingy and demanding. Yet awkward too

Question 7

What is the core theory of attachment?

Answer 7

Bowlby’s theory

Question 8

What does Bowlby’s theory state

Answer 8

1. Monotropy - Attachment formed with one person during a critical period of 0-3 years
2. Privation - when attachment is not formed during critical period
3. Deprivation - Attachment is formed and later broken

Question 9

What are the effects of deprivation in Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 9

Aggression
 Dwarfism
 Delinquency
 Intellectual retardation
 Depression
 Dependency anxiety
 Affectionless psychopath
 Social maladjustment

Question 10

What are the criticisms of Bowlby’s theory

Answer 10

1. The theory doesnt explain how children can form multiple attachments
2. Critical period is too extreme. (studies show that children can form strong attachments with significant others
3. Bowlby states the effects of deprivation are irreversible but that isn’t always the case
4. His theory ignores the role of nurture

Question 11

What is the alternative theory of attachment?

Answer 11

The behaviourists theory

Question 12

What does this theory state?

Answer 12

1. Behaviourists believe that attachment is formed by learning and experience. (through reinforcement)
2. Positive reinforcement - If a child does an action (smiling, cooing) which they are rewarded for (attention/feeding/comforting), they would do it again and soon build an attachment with the caregiver.
3. Negative reinforcement - If a child does an action (screaming), and they are punished for it, they wont do it again and so an attachment is less likely to be formed

Question 13

What is the core study of attachment?

Answer 13

Hazen and Shaver (The love quiz)

Question 14

What was the aim of this study?

Answer 14

To see if there is a relationship between attachment type and later love life

Question 15

What was the procedure of this experiment?

Answer 15

1. Placed love quiz in american newspaper
2. Received many replies but could only use 620 replies
3. Sample aged between 14-82

Question 16

What were the results of this experiment?

Answer 16

• Secure attachment in early life = Confident adult relationship
• Avoidant early attachment type = Jealous, bipolar, adult relationship
• Ambivalent early attachment type = Obsession, Extreme jealousy and Lust in adult relationship

Question 17

What was the conclusion of this study?

Answer 17

There was a clear relationship between infant attachment type and Intimate adult relationships

Question 18

What were the limitations of this study?

Answer 18

1) Sample was self-selecting - Not representative of all groups so results cant be generalised
2) Demand characteristics - since it was a quiz, it was easy for people to lie and exaggerate their answers
3) Used closed questions - Hard to see the effect of extraneous variables on their relationship

Question 19

What are the applications of research into attachment?

Answer 19

1) Care of children in hospitals - The quicker the contact between mother and child, the stronger the bond. (before, babies were kept from mothers)
2) Care of children in nurseries - There is a debate on the fact that children may form attachments with nannies, not parents
3) Care of children in families - Before: parents would raise children on their own. Now: Organisations can help families create an early bond