Attachment Flashcards

Question

Describe a weakness of Schaffer and Emersons study planning

Answer 1

Limited sample characteristics: -Sample large but all similar- all from the same district and similar social class in the same city- may be in different social classes mothers are more/less responsive - Over 50 years ago- child-rearing practices change hugely (eg used to be normal to ee baby outside shops); research shows the number of dads who stay at home to care for baby has quadrupled in the last 25 years (Cohen et al, 2014)- results don't generalise well to other historical contexts

Answer 2

Lack of cultural variations: -May only apply to individualistic cultures- when individuals are only concerned with their own needs and those of immediate families - collectivistic cultures are more concerned with the needs of the community than the needs of individuals- share possessions and childcare- more likely to from multiple attachments Sagi et al (1994) supports this when they compared attachments in infants raised in communal environments (Israeli Kibbutzim) vs in family-based sleeping arrangements - in a kibbutz children spend time in a community cared for by foster mother -closeness of attachment with mothers was almost twice as common in family-based arrangements than in communal environments -suggest Schaffer and Emerson research only applicable in individualistic cultures- low generalisability

Answer 3

- 3% father first sole object of attachment - 27% joint first with mother - 75% attachment with fathers by 18 months

Answer 4

- Degree of sensitivity- more secure attachments to children found in fathers who are more sensitive to their needs - Type of attachment to own parents- single-parent fathers tend to form similar attachments with their children that they had with their parents - marital intimacy- intimacy between father and partner affects attachment with children -supportive co-parenting- the amount of support a father gives his partner in helping to care for children affects attachment type

Answer 5

-Schaffer and Emerson (1964) – 75% of infants studied had formed an attachment with the father at 18 months -Geiger (1996) Research shows that the father may fulfil a qualitatively different role from that of the mother – play vs emotional support – but this is just as crucial to the child’s wellbeing -Lamb (1987) Research shows that the fathers in a single-parent family are more likely to adopt the traditional maternal role, fathers prefer interacting with fathers when in a positive emotional state -Quality of attachment with the father may be less influential in adolescence – Grossman (2002), quality of play related to quality of adolescence attachments -Hardy (1999) suggested that fathers are less able than mothers to detect low levels of infant distress which suggests that males are less suitable as primary attachment figures

Answer 6

- Children with secure attachments to their father go on t have better relationships with peers, fewer problems with behaviour and are able to regulate emotion - children who grow up without fathers tend to do less well at school and are more aggressive (particularly boys) - however, Pederson (1979) points out most of these studies have focused on single mothers from poor socioeconomic backgrounds so may be other factors

Answer 7

-Limitation- confusion over research question- role as secondary vs primary attachment figure differs- difficult to offer an answer to 'what is' question -Limitation- conflicting evidence- longitudinal studies eg Gieger and Grossman show father has an important role, however, McCallum and Golombook show children in lesbian or single-mother parents don't develop differently- counterpoint- could be fathers take on a different role in these situations- Lamb -strength- real-world application- advice to parents- fathers capable of being primary attachment figures, household where no after around can be informed that it didn't affect child's development - limitation- bias- observer bias due to stereotypical image of father being stricter, less caring etc

Answer 8

Lorenz (1935) and Harlow (1958)

Answer 9

To investigate the mechanisms of imprinting where the young follow and form an attachment to the first lathe moving object they meet.

Answer 10

- divided a clutch of goslings eggs into 2 groups - one group left with natural mothers. whilst others were placed in an incubator - When incubated hatched, the first thing they saw was Lorenz- started following him around - Lorenz marked 2 groups to distinguish them and placed them together again - Lorenz and natural mother were present and goslings quickly divided themselves- one following Lorenz and the other following mother

Answer 11

- control group followed their mother goose everywhere, whereas the second followed Lorenz - Lorenz's goslings followed no recognition of real mother - In some experiments also got ducks to attach to inanimate objects e.g wellington boots - Later experiments- the strongest tendency to imprint is 13-16 hours- a critical period - By 32 hours tendency to imprint passed and won't take place - imprinting similar to attachment in that it binds a young animal to a caregiver in a very special relationship

Answer 12

a form of learning in which a very young animal fixes its attention on the first object with which it has visual, auditory or tactile experience and thereafter follows the object

Answer 13

- Research evidence to support- many others have demonstrated imprinting in animals- supporting Lorenz. Guiton (1966) demonstrated leghorn chicks exposed to yellow rubber gloves for feeding them in the first few days became imprinted on the gloves- supports view that young animals aren't born with predisposition to imprint on a specific type of object but on any moving thing that is present during critical period of development - important info gained- critical period influenced Bowlby's idea of a critical period in human babies - the idea of a critical time period for attachment in goslings otherwise negative consequences was highly influential- could then be extrapolated to humans

Answer 14

- generalisation from birds to humans- Although some findings have influenced understanding of human development, there is a problem of generalisation. Mammalian attachment system is very different to birds- e.g more complex, more 2-way, form at any time- animal studies only pointer in human behaviour- still need conformation in human research - conflicting research- Guiton- Lorenz suggested imprinting permanent consequences but Guiton found with practice, could be reversed and chickens preferred other chickens- questions validity as not permanent

Answer 15

- 16 monkeys separated from mothers immediately after birth and placed in a cage with access to 2 surrogate mothers- one made of wire and one covered in soft terry-towelling cloth - half could get milk from wire monkey, half could get milk from cloth

Answer 16

- Both monkeys spend more time with cloth mother even if she had no milk- would only go to the wire when hungry and would return to cloth once fed - would run ti cloth for refuge when scared, would explore more when cloth present Then investigated the difference between behaviours in monkeys who had grown up with surrogate vs normal mothers- fund that monkeys were: - much more timid - didn't know how to behave with other monkeys and could be aggressive - difficulty with mating - females were 'inadequate' mothers- some even killing their offspring - effects only in monkeys with surrogate mothers for more than 90 days- if less, could be reversed if placed in normal environments where they could form attachments

Answer 17

- contact comfort was more important than food in formation of attachment - contact comfort is preferable to food but not sufficient in healthy development - early maternal deprivation can leads to emotional damage, but can be reversed if an attachment was made before end of critical period

Answer 18

real-world value: - has helped social workers and psychologists understand that a lack of bonding experiences may be a risk factor in child development- allowing them to intervene and prevent poor outcomes - childcare providers know the importance of tactile comfort - baby monkeys in zoos and breeding programmes around the world- the importance of the presence of real mother

Answer 19

- generalisation from animals to humans- while all mammals have similar attachment behaviours, the human brain and behaviour more complex than monkeys- may not be appropriate to generalise - ethics issues- severe and longterm distress on monkeys- worth it? - confounding variable- monkeys face- more realistic and friendly-looking- affected research without being accounted for?

Answer 20

Dollard and Miller (1950)

Answer 21

- Classical conditioning -Operant conditioning

Answer 22

- food is unconditioned stimulus that produces unconditioned response (pleasure) - At outset, caregiver is a neutral stimulus who produces no response - caregiver paired with unconditioned stimulus- unconditioned response - because often paired, caregiver alone can produce pleasure- mother now conditioned stimulus and brings a conditioned response Attachment occurs because the child seeks a person who can supply reward

Answer 23

- any behaviour resulting in rewards is positively reinforced and therefore likely to be repeated - any behaviour that results in punishment is 'stamped out' and therefore unlikely to be repeated -E.g. a hungry infant feels uncomfortable and is driven to reduce discomfort so cries- feel pleasure so reward when fed. Food is the primary reinforcer as satisfies hunger, a caregiver is secondary as associated with food Positive feedback- giving- eg baby getting food Negative- taking- mother getting quiet

Answer 24

Drive reduction: - hunger is primary drive- innate, biological motivator- motivated ti eat to reduce hunger - Sears et al (1957) suggested that as caregivers provide food, drive of hunger becomes generalised to them- attachment is a secondary drive leant by the association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive

Answer 25

- Ample opportunities for reinforcement- Dollard and Miller- In first year, babies fed 2000 times- generally by main carer- many opportunities for negative reinforcement (loss of hunger with carer)- support to operant conditioning- face validity Explanatory power- infants do learn through reinforcement, just that food not main reinforcer- attachment and responsiveness rewrads- best attachments are where caregiver picks up signals- learning explanation needs to be amended to include other factors, however in learning theory baby seems to take passive role- simply responding to situations with comfort /reward, but Feldman and Eidleman found babies take an active role in interactions that produce attachment

Answer 26

- counter-evidence from animal studies- Lorenz showed imprinting regardless of food, Harlow showed contact comfort more important than food- chose soft regardless -counterevidence from human studies- schaffer and emmerson found babies tend to form main attachment to who is most responsive not who feeds them, and Isabella et al found interactional synchrony important in later attachment- nothing to do with food - social learning theory- Hay and Vespo- parents teach children t love them through showing attachment behaviours e.g. hugging and reinforce through approval when babies replicate- advantage as more 2-way- fits better with research into the importance of reciprocity - Bowlby- alternative explanation- ignores evidence pointing to innate aspects of attachment needed for survival- 2-way tendency

Answer 27

The monotropic theory of attachment

Answer 28

- attachment is an innate process which that serves important evolutionary function- less attached = less protected- distant ancestors in danger of not attached - programmed into humans, operate similarly in almost all cultures - purpose and function same regardless of all ethnic or cultural differences- keep baby close for safety and protection- allows secure base to explore, pass on through generations- loving relationship - baby born with set of innate behaviours such as smiling, cooing and gripping that encourage adult attention- social releases- purpose to make adult love them- attachment reciprocal process- both have innate predisposition to become attached and social releasers trigger response

Answer 29

- monotropy - critical period - internal working model

Answer 30

- the idea that a childs attachment to one particular caregiver is more important and different to all of the others - more time spent with primary attachment figure the better - other attachments possible but those with PCG (usually caregiver) key -Law of continuity- the more constant and predictable a child care is, the better quality of attachment - the law of accumulated separation- the effects of every separation from PCG add up- safest dose is 0 dose

Answer 31

- babies have innate drive to become attached- usually occurs during set time period - process of attachment must occur during first 2-3 years - infants who don't form attachment in this period will have difficulties forming attachments later on - whether infant attachments depends on sensitivity of PCG - Also sensitive period- around 6 months- maximally sensitive to attachmnent

Answer 32

- internal working model is template for future relationships and based on infants primary attachment - consistency between early emotional experiences and later relationships - in first attachment, infant builds up model of themselves as loveable or not, model of parent figure as trustworthy or not, and model of relationship between the two - passed through generations- form parenting style

Answer 33

- support for internal working model- idea testable because predicts that patterns passed through generations- Bailey et al assessed 99 mothers with 1 year old baby on quality of attachment to own mothers on interview, also assessed attachment of babies using observation- found mothers who reported poor attachments to own parents much more likely to have poorly attached children- however, probably other important influences on social development- e.g. some psychologists believe genetic differences in anxiety and sociability affect social behaviour in children and adults- could impact on parenting ability (Kornienko)- Bowlby overstated importance of IWM in expense of other factors. - IWM also supported by McCarthy (insecure-avioidant = romantic issues, insecure-resistant = friendship) and Hazan&Shaver (securely attached= mutual trust in long lasting romantic relationships) - Support for social releasers- baby behaviours designed to elicit interaction from caregiver. Brazelton et al- babies trigger inetractions with social releasers- then told to ignore- showed emotional distress- social releases important in emotional and attachment development

Answer 34

- multiple attachments- many argued first not necessarily special or unique- Schaffer and Emerson- - multiple attachments norm rather than exception- mother not main attachment figure in 35%, 31% had multiple attachments, PA stronger not different- all others provide same qualities e.g. emotional support, safe base - alternative explanations- Kagans temperament hypothesis- innate temperamental characteristics had serious impact on quality of relationship and attachment type, also influence later relationships. Bowlby suggest attachment type due to PCG's sensitivity, whereas Kagan believed attachment can be explained by infant behaviour. Belsky and Rovine propose there is interaction between the 2- suggested by research that found mothers perception of infants temperament influenced mothers responsiveness (Spangler)

Answer 35

Ainsworth (and Bell) (1970)

Answer 36

To produce a method for assessing quality of attachment between a mother and a child

Answer 37

- controlled observation procedure - have taken place in a room (2 chairs, table, toys) with controlled conditions with a two way mirror and/or cameras through which psychologists can observe behaviour - involved a specific 7/ 8 step procedure, each lasting 3 minutes

Answer 38

- proximity seeking- a baby with a good quality attachment will stay fairly close to a caregiver - exploration and secure base behaviour- good attachment enables a baby to feel confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base- a point of contact that will make them feel safe - stranger anxiety- one of the signs of becoming closely attached is a display of anxiety when a stranger approaches - separation anxiety- another sign of becoming attached is to protest at separation from the caregiver - reunion behaviour- babies who are securely attached greet the caregivers return with pleasure and seek comfort

Answer 39

1) parent and infant play- none 2) parent sets while infant plays- exploration and use of parent as a safe base 3) stranger enters, talks to parent, approaches baby- stranger anxiety 4) parents leaves, stranger offers comfort if needed- separation anxiety and stranger anxiety 5) Parent returns, greets infant, offers comfort if needed, stranger leaves- reunion behaviour 6) parent leaves infant alone- separation anxiety 7) Stranger returns, offers comfort- stranger anxiety 8) parent returns, greets infant, offers comfort- reunion behaviour

Answer 40

- Securely attached (B)- 66%- uses mother as secure base (happy to explore but seeks proximity), moderate separation and stranger anxiety, requires and accepts comfort from caregiver when returns Insecure avoidant (A)- 22%- Child explores freely but doesn't seek proximity, little/no separation/stranger anxiety, requires no comfort at reunion - Insecure resistant (C)- 12%- explores less and seeks greater proximity, considerable separation/stranger anxiety, resists comfort when reunited

Answer 41

How sensitive mother is to infants needs- mothers who responded correctly produced secure attachments, mothers who are less sensitive or ignore need produce insecure attachments (indifferent to needs - avoidant, ambivalent to needs- resistant)

Answer 42

Main and Solomon- Disorganised- inconsistent attachment behaviours- <4%

Answer 43

- good predictive validity- attachment type predicts later development- Securely attached better achievement in school, less bullying (McChromick, Kokkinos), better mental health as adults (Ward). Insecure-resistant and disorganised- worse outcomes: identifying attachment types can help identify and possibly help those in danger of later issues. -Good inter-rater reliability- Bick et all- tested this- different trained observers watching same children- 94% agreement- in addition to controlled environment and how easy behaviours are to measure (crying, proximity etc)- high validity, not dependent on subjective judgement - Can be used to improve children's lives through intervention strategy- e.g. circle of security project (Cooper et al)- teaches caregivers to better understand infants signals of distress, fund increase in number of securely attached (32-40%

Answer 44

- Lacks sample characteristics- only testing mothers attachment- may have others to fathers, grandparents etc- lacks validity as only specific to mother so not general attachment. ls culture-bound- developed in Britain and US- may only be appropriate for USA and Europe- infants have different experiences in different cultures- e.g. Japanese study (Takahashi)- disproportionate number of insecure-resistant as high separation anxiety, not due to attachment insecurity but separation rare- not suitable for use in Japan and others - Other types found- Main and Solomon- 1986_ disorganised attachment- mix of avoidant and resistant- classification system may not be entirely valid. - Other factors more important than attachment- Kagan (1982)- temperament or genetically influenced could be having the impact on later life, not attachment- confounding variable? - ethics- distressing for babies?

Answer 45

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)

Answer 46

Investigate cultural differences in attachment

Answer 47

- Mata analysis- all results combined and analysed tigether- weighting each sample size - 32 strange situation studies across 8 countries - total of 2000 babies - percentages of attachment types analysed and compares

Answer 48

- secure most common in all - Lowest of secure in China (50%), highest in GB (75%) - Avoidant most common in Germany (35.3%), least common in Japan (5.2%) - Resistant most common in Israel (28.8%), least common in GB (2.8%) - variations in same country 150% greater than between countries- e.g.- USA- one found 46% but another 90% securely attached - Induvidualistic- insecure-resistant similar to original- all under 14%- but collectivistic (Israel, Japan, China)- above 25%, rates of avoident reduced

Answer 49

- Israel- raised in Kibbutz- used to separation from mother- less anxiety when leaves. High stranger anxiety as not used to them- high percentage of resistant- Fox- strange situation with Kibbutz nurse and Mother- similar results - Japan- similar results to Israel- very rarely left so distress when left more shock than attachment- stranger anxiety more likely to be from absence of mother - Germany- high % of avoidant- Grossman et al- German parents seek 'independent, non-cling infants' who don't make demands of parents, but obey their commands- less separation anxiety

Answer 50

- Meta-analysis is ethically sound- no more children put through potentially traumatic experiment - Significant applications to psychology- first large scale comparative analysis of attachment studies in different countries- developed understanding of child-rearing practices in different cultures and how they impact on attachment type - Large sample size- 200 babies - Use of indigenous reserachers- most studies investigated by psychologists from same cultural background as participants- e.g Grossman et al (Germany), Takahashi (Japan). Avoided researchers misunderstanding of language used by Pp's , difficulty in communicating instructions, bias from nations stereotypes of another. Enhances validity of data collected. COUNTER- not true of all research- Morelli and Tronick- outsiders from America when measuring in Efe of Zaire- may have been affected by bias and issues outlined above

Answer 51

- Confounding variables- different countries- not usually matched for mehodology- sample characteristics e.g. poverty, social class and urban/rural makeup, age of Pp can confound results. Environmental variables- room size, availability of interesting toys- may appear to explore more in small with more toys. Less proximity-seeking due to room size may be more likely to class as avoidant. Looking attachment in non-matched studies in different countries may not tell us anything about cross-cultural studies. - not truly representative- 1 in China vs 18 in USA- may not generalise to all areas of all countries - Imposed etic- ethnocentric procedure- developed in America based off American norms- may only be specific to western areas- doesn't take account for culturally specific factors- may be inappropriate for use in non-western children. E.g. in GB and US, lack of affection on reunion may indicate avoidant, but in Germany, behaviour more likely to be interpreted as independence than insecurity. - Competing explanations- Similar in different Countries- Bowlby says this is innate and universal attachment, however, Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg suggest global media represent a particular view of how parents and babies are meant to behave- override traditional cultural differences

Answer 52

Italian- Simonelli et al- research to find whether Italy matches previous research of others- 76 babies, 12 months- using strange situation. 50% secure- lower, 36% avoidant- higher. More mothers working and using professional childcare. Patterns of attachment not static- vary in line with cultural change. Korea- Jin et al- 87 babies- proportions of insecure/secure similar to other studies- most secure. Only 1 avoidant- similar to Japan- similar child rearing styles

Answer 53

Italian- Simonelli et al- research to find whether Italy matches previous research of others- 76 babies, 12 months- using strange situation. 50% secure- lower, 36% avoidant- higher. More mothers working and using professional childcare. Patterns of attachment not static- vary in line with cultural change. Korea- Jin et al- 87 babies- proportions of insecure/secure similar to other studies- most secure. Only 1 avoidant- similar to Japan- similar child rearing styles

Answer 54

Theory of maternal deprivation

Answer 55

- focused on the idea that the presence of a mother or mother-substitute is essential for normal psychological development of babies/toddlers, both emotionally and intellectually. "Mother love in infancy is just as important for a child mental health, as vitamins and proteins are for physical health"

Answer 56

No attachment in first place

Answer 57

- separation- child not being in presence of Primary attachment figure Only becomes a problem if the child is deprived of emotional care (can happen if the mother is present but e.g. depressed). Brief separations, especially if left with substitute who can provide emotional care, aren't significant for development, but extended separations can lead to deprivation- by definition causes harm.

Answer 58

- first 2.5 years of life - if separated from PCG with no substitute to provide emotional care for significant amount of time, psychological damage was inevitable. - also continuing risk up to age of 5

Answer 59

- Intellectual development- if children deprived for too long during critical period, they would experience delayed intellectual development- characterised by abnormally low IQ's. Demonstrated in studies of adoption- Goldfarb (1947)- lower IQ in children who had remained in institutions compared to those fostered and so had more emotional care. - Emotional development- identifies affectionless psychopathy as the inability to experience guilt or strong emotions towards others. Prevents a person fulfilling relationships, associated with criminality as cant appreciate feelings of victims so lack remorse for actions.

Answer 60

- 44 theives study- examined the link between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation.

Answer 61

- sample consisted of 44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing - all assessed for signs of emotionless psychopathy- characterised by lack of affection, guilt and empathy for crimes/victims - families also interviewed to establish whether 'theives' had prolonged early separation from mothers - sample compared to control group of 44 non-criminal but emotionally disturbed young people

Answer 62

- 14/44 theives could be described as affectionless psychopaths - 12 of these had experienced prolonged separation from mothers in first 2 years of lives - 5 of the remaining 30 experienced separations - only 2/44 in control group had experienced prolonged separations - concluded that early deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy

Answer 63

- findings of 44 thieves study support - other supporting evidence- Bifulco et al (1992)- studied 250 women who had lost mothers through separation or deaths before age of 17- doubled risk of depressive/anxiety dissorrs in adulthood- rate of depression highest in women whose mother had died before age of 6- supports critical period

Answer 64

- conflicting evidence- Lewis (1954)- partially replicated 44 thieves study on larger scale of 500- in her sample, a history of early prolonged separation from mother didn't cause affectionless psychopathy- other factors may affect outcome of early maternal deprivation -critical period could be more of a sensitive period- later research shows damage not inevitable- even most severe deprivation can have good outcomes is cild has good social interaction and aftercare. Koluchova (1976)- twin boys from Czechoslovakia- isolated from 7 months-7 years old- locked in cupboard by stepmother- after, looked after by 2 loving sisters- normal IQ, got married- sensitive not critical period - deprivation vs privation- Rutter- claimed he was muddling them- privation = never formed, deprivation = lost. suggested severe long term damage result of privation? - Flawed evidenced in 44 thieves study- Bowlby carried out family interviews and psychopathy assessments himself- open to bias as knew himseft which teenagers he expected to show psychopathy - Infuenced by Godfarb who could have been flawed- confounding variables- children had experienced early trauma and institutional care as well as separation. HOWEVER, Levy et al- separating baby rats from mothers for as little as a day had permanent effect on social development but not other areas

Answer 65

- Ceausescu regime- aimed to increase population- not allowing abortion or contraception - many families couldn't look after children- placed in orphanages where there was very little physical/emotional care and no cognitive stimulation - regime collapsed in 1989- children were found- many adopted outside Romania- e.g. UK, Framce, Canada

Answer 66

Term for the effects of living in an institutional setting. Institution refers to a place like a hospital or an orphanage where people live for long, continuous periods of time. Littel emotional or physical care.

Answer 67

- 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain to test what extent good care could make up for early experiences in institutions - Og the 165, 111 were adopted before age of 2, 54 before 4 - children tested regularly for physical, social and cognitive development at age of 4, 6, 11 and 15 - group of 52 children from UK and adopted at similar time served as a control group

Answer 68

- at time of adoption, the Romanian orphans lagged behind British counterparts on all areas of physical, social and cognitive development - cognitively classed as mentally retarded - by 4, most of children who had been adopted after age of 6 months showed disinibited attachment (doesn't proper parents over strangers, seeks comfort from anyone), had difficulties forming relationships with peers. - most adopted before age of 6 months caught up with British children - many severely undernourished when arrived - mean IQ before 6 months- 102. 86 for 6 months-2 years, 77 for after 2 years. - differences remained at 16 years old (beckett et al) - ADHD more common in 15- and 22-25 yer old samples- Kenendey et al - symptoms of disinhibited attachment- clinginess, attention seeking, social behaviour directed indiscriminately to adults. Adopted before 6 months rarely showed disinhibited 54 % who showed disinhibited at get 6 still showed at 11

Answer 69

- long term onsequences may be less severe than once thought if children have opportunities to form attachments early. However, when children don't form attachments the consequences are more likely to be severe.

Answer 70

Hodges and Tizard- 1989

Answer 71

- to investigate the effects of early privation on subsequent social and emotional development - to test the maternal deprivation (or privation) hypothesis

Answer 72

- Longitudinal study - natural experiment - independent variable (attachment experience) varied naturally - PPs- 65 children who had been placed in an institution when they were less than 4 months old - the institution has explicit policy against caregivers forming attachments with children- suggests children experienced early privation - by 4 years, 24 of the children had bee adopted, 15 had returned natural homes and rest remained in institution - assessment at age 8 and 16 involved interviewing adoptees and those returned to natural homes. Also interviewed parents, teachers and peers - also date collected from control group of 'normal' peers

Answer 73

- some differences between adopted and 'restored' children- adopted generally had close relationships to parents and good family relationships. Much less true for restores- shows the quality of care is important. - However, similarities in behaviour of adopted and restored children outside of the family- both groups more likely to seek adult attention ad approval than control children, both less successful in peer relationships.

Answer 74

- some differences between adopted and 'restored' children- adopted generally had close relationships to parents and good family relationships. Much less true for restores- shows the quality of care is important. - However, similarities in behaviour of adopted and restored children outside of the family- both groups more likely to seek adult attention ad approval than control children, both less successful in peer relationships.

Answer 75

- 2 ex-institutional groups differed in family relationships - restored children had often returned to same difficult circumstances that had percipitated the need for care in the first place and to parents who may feel ambivalent about them. - in contrast, adopted went to homes with parents who very much wanted to have them.

Answer 76

- physical underdevelopment- usually physically small. Gardner- lack of emotional care rather than poor nourishment is cause of what has been called deprivation dwarfism - intellectual undrefuntcioning- cognitive development effected by emotional; deprivation - disinhibited attachment- symptoms include attention seeking, clinginess, social behaviour indiscriminate to familiar and unfamiliar adults - poor parenting- quinton et al- group of 50 women from institution compared to 50 at home (control)- In 20s, ex-institutional women experiencing extreme difficulties acting as parents- e.g. their children had spent time in care. Supported by Harlow- monkeys with surrogates became poor parents.

Answer 77

- value of longitudinal studies- both studies followed lives of same children over many years. Substantial benefits but take planning and time. If not, we mistakenly conclude extreme effects which could dissipate later in life if given high quality care- provide more valid account of LT consequences. - Real-life application- studies have enhanced understanding of effects of institutionalisation. Results lead to improvements in way in which children are cared for in institutions (Langton, 2006). E.g. now try to avoid having large numbers of caregivers for each child, instead have smaller number of people. Key workers- key role in child care- greater chance of developing normal attachments, helps avoid disinhibited attachment. Shows how studies can be used to implement policy that benefits children's development. - fewer confounding avriables- previous studies on orphans (e.g. from war) had confounding variables e.g. trauma, abuse, bereavment. Hard to investigate as children dealing with multiple issues which could confound the results. However not the case in Romanian orphanages- higher internal validity

Answer 78

- longitudinal still limited- cant definitively conlcude long term effects- could still 'catch up' as adults emotionally and intellectually, or those who appear to have no issues could develop them as adults. Cant understand full LT effects until we have data throughout adulthood e.g. maintenance of relationships, parental relationships if have kids - Romanian orphanages were atypical. Conditions remarkably poor- may not be able to apply results to wider understanding of care/deprivation as particularly poor level of social interaction, emotional/physical care and intellectual stimulation. Lack generalizability. - social sensitivity of results- studies are socially sensitive as show late-adopted children typically have poor developmental outcomes. Results have been published while children are growing up- parents, teachers, anyone else who knew them might have lowered expectations and treated them differently. May have created a self-fufilling prophecy. Could be worth it for applications though?

Answer 79

- IWM - if functional relationship, will seek functional relationships - bring bad experiences fowards

Answer 80

Sroufe et al (2005)- Minnesota longitudinal study- followed a cohort of children from 12 months- adolescence - children rated through their teachers, trained observers and camp counsellors at special events - rated as securely attached in infancy = more popular, more initiative, higher in social competence, self-confidence and self esteem Smith et al (1998)- bullying - relationship between early attachment type in childhood and bullying later in childhood - 196 children aged 7-11 in London - securely attached = least likely to be involved in bullying - insecure avoidant = most likely to be victims - Insecure resistant most likely to be bullies

Answer 81

Hazan and Shaver (1987)

Answer 82

- interested in IWM - investigated correlation between attachment type and future approach to later relationships

Answer 83

- 'Love quiz'- 2 components - measure of attachment type- simple adjective checklist of childhood relationships with parents and parents with each other - love experience questionaire- assessed induvidual's beliefs about romantic love e.g. whether it lasted forever, whether it could be found easily, how much trust etc, general love experience - love quiz published in local newspaper 'the rocky mountain news'- readers asked to send in experiences - analysed first 620 responses from ages 14-82 - classified respondents according to Mary Ainsworth's infant attachment types of secure, I-R and I-A

Answer 84

- Secure types- described love experiences as happy, friendly and trusting- ephasising being able to accept partner regardless of any faults- relationships more enduring, initial passion reappearing from time to time, for some romantic love never fading. Happy do depend on/ be depended on by others, happy being close to others - IR- love involving obsession, a desire for reciprocation, emotional highs and lows, extreme sexual attraction and jealousy, and worry their partners may not really love them/abandon them. Desire for intense closeness may push others away. - I-A- feared intimacy, emotional highs and lows and jealousy. Believed they didn't need love to be happy. Uncomfortable being close and/or depending on others - found strikingly high correlation between infant attachment types and adult romantic love styles

Answer 85

- there was evidence to support the concept of IWM having a lifelong effect - however, did discover not everyone stayed true to attachment style- people changed as they grew

Answer 86

- supporting research- Simson et al (2007)- securely attachment had higher social confidence as children, closer to friends at 16, more expressive and more emotionally attached to romantic partner in early adulthood - McCarthy (1999)- 40 adult women assessed as babies- securely attached led to best adult friendships and relationships. I-R had friendship issues, I-A romantic issues

Answer 87

Counter evidence: - Zimmerman et al (2000)- longitudianl of 44 German children- attachment type assed betwenn 12 and 18 months using strange situation. Reassessed at 16 using interviews focused on parent relationships. Found childhood attachment not good predictor of attachment in adolescence- life events often altered secure attachments to insecure type in adulthood. - Rutter et al (1999) change can occur in opposite direction- group of people who had experienced problematic relationship with parents but gone onto achieve secure, stable and happy adult relationships- 'earned security' - attachment type not necessarily continued from infancy to adulthood- can change in either way Research is correlational: - correlation not experimental research- cant claim attachment caused relationships. Could both be caused by something different- e.g. Kagans temprement hypothesis- could affect way parent responds and therefor attachment type and relationships. Issues with validity in measurement: - most studies of PCG don't use strange situation to measure attachment type, but use interview/questionaire many years later. - relies on self report- honesty issues, accuracy of remembering, realistic views- issues with accuracy as retrospective- NOT seen in longitudinal - IWM subconscious- can you accurately report- only get a partial picture Overly deterministic: - can seem to suggest experiences have fixed effect on later adult relationships- therefor, children assessed as insecurely attached at one doomed to experience emotionally unsatisfactory adult relationships - not the case- research has shown reversibility - if emphasise risk, risk becoming pessimistic about peoples future- can create self perpetuation prophecies

Attachment Flashcards

(113 cards)