Attachment Flashcards
(70 cards)
1
Q
What is attachment?
A
- two- way emotional bond (back and front)
- more secure when with attached person
- develops over a period of time
2
Q
What are attachment behaviours?
(Proximity, Separation Distress, Secure base behavior)
A
Proximity = stays physically close to who they are attached to
Separation Distress = becomes distressed when attached figure leaves them
Secure base = explore environment but returns to secure figure
also when stranger interacts after attached figure leaves it causes distress
3
Q
What are the 2 building blocks to build an attachment?
A
Reciprocity + Interactional synchrony
4
Q
What is Reciprocity?
A
- two-way mutual interactions
- both infant + caregiver are ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS to interactions
- reciprocal (respond to other’s signal) + elicit a response from other
- helps to facilitate an attachment
5
Q
What 2 types of reciprocity?
A
Mum smiles, baby smiles = INFANT reciprocity
Baby smiles, mum smiles = MOTHER reciprocity
one ALERTS signal - others RESPONDS
6
Q
What was Tronik et al’s research and purpose?
A
- asked mothers having an interaction, to stop moving + to maintain static/unsmiling expression
- babies would try to tempt mother into interactions
- babies become puzzled + distressed when mother doesn’t smile (not ‘usual’ response)
Shows there’s an importance to be a mutual interaction between the mother and child
e.g baby’s nappy is dirty (cries), mother changes nappy
7
Q
What is Feldman’s research (2007)?
A
- from 3+ months,
- interactions tends to be more frequent
- close attention to each other’s verbal and facial expressions
8
Q
What is Brazelton et al’s research(1975)?
A
- interaction = dance
- when partner responds to other’s movement
- NOT copying
9
Q
What hppened during Murray + Trevorthen (1985)
A
- conducted on 2-year-olds
- infants interact with mother via video monitor (real-time)
- monitor played recording of mother but isn’t responding correctly (delayed) - infant shows distress
- when given no response, infant PHYSICALLY turns away
10
Q
What is Interactional Synchrony?
A
- when 2 people interact = mirroring what the other is doing(body + facial movements
- two way pattern of interaction
- foundation of attachment
- interaction is rhythmic = behaviour is synchronised
11
Q
What is Meltzoff + Moore’s research (1977)?
A
- adult model displays a facial expression
- dummy was INITIALLY placed to prevent response from baby - following display, dummy is removed + child’s expressions was filmed
- infants (from 3 years old) imitate facial expressions displayed
implies ability to mirror is INNATE behaviour
12
Q
Stages of Attachment
All
Infants
Say
Mum
A
- Asocial stage (0-6 weeks)
- Indiscriminate attachments (6 weeks - 6 months)
- Specific attachments (7 months+)
- Multiple attachments (10 months -1 years)
13
Q
What is the Asocial Stage (0-6 weeks)?
A
- similar response to objects + people
- preferences for eyes + face
- many kinds of stimuli (social +non social) produce favorable reactions
14
Q
What is Indiscriminate attachments (6 weeks - 6 months)?
A
- enjoys any human company
- responds EQUALLY to any caregiver
- upset when individual ceases to interact
3+ months old - infants smile more at familiar faces
15
Q
What is Specific attachments (7 months+)
A
- preferences to 1 caregiver
- looks to particular people for comfort + security
- shows fear of strangers
- unhappy when separated from special person
16
Q
What is Multiple attachments (10 - 11 months+)?
A
- infants become INCREASINGLY independent + forms several attachments
- more likely to form with those who respond ACCURATELY to infants signal
NOT person who they spend more time with
17
Q
What is Schaffer + Emerson (1964)?
A
AIM: study the development of attachment
METHOD: 60 infants (from Glasgow, middle-class) observed for 18 months,a sked mother to record behaviour
PROBLEM: parents view of behaviour = SUBJECTIVE leads to SOCIALLYS DESIRABLE answers `
18
Q
Separation anxiety
A
distress levels when caregiver leaves + degree of comfort when returned
19
Q
Stranger anxiety
A
response to stranger’s arrival
20
Q
Social referency
A
degree of child looking at carer for approval/ response to something new
21
Q
Results of Schaffer + Emerson (1964)
A
25 - 32 weeks - 50% had separation anxiety (attachment forms)
1 month - of this group 29% had multiple attachments
40 weeks - 30% had formed multiple attachments
22
Q
The role of father
HISTORICALLY …
Schaffer + Emerson (1964)
A
- primary attachment more likely with mother
- fathers are SECONDARY attachment figures
- fathers only primary attachment in 3% of babies
23
Q
The role of father
NOW…
A
- expectations in WESTERN cultures - father should play bigger role
- no. of full-time working mothers INCREASING = fathers have more ACTIVE role
24
Q
Grossman (2002)
A
- longitudinal study looking at both parents’ behaviour + relationship to quality of attachments
quality of infant attachments with mothers related to attachment in adolescence
fathers have different role - play role in attachment
25
What was the Israel Study?
nothing makes women better at parenting
- primary caregivers develop neural pathways = more responsive to child's emotional cues
can develop in FATHERS as well as mothers
when father is primary caregiver ADAPTS behaviour more typical of mothers
26
What was Fields (1978) research?
METHOD: filmed 4 months old, face to face interactions (primary MOTHER, secondary FATHER, primary FATHER)
RESULTS: primary F spent more time smiling,imitating + holding infant than secondary F
CONCLUSION: key to attachment is level of RESPONSIVENESS (not gender of parent)
27
Implications due to Fields' research (1978)
Social policy - paid paternity leave 2000 (both parents)
Stereotypical - men = breadwinner
28
Animal studies
- used to look at formation of early bonds between NON human parents + offspring
attachment is common to range of species
29
Lorenz - Imprinting Theory
- one of most prominent ethologists
Imprinting = innate readiness to develop strong bond with mother during specific time
- neighbour gave newly hatched duckling that FOLLOWED him around , fascinated led him to develop further
30
Lorenz's research (1935)
METHOD: gooslings eggs separates into 2 groups; 1 with natural mother + 1 with Lorenz
when eggs hatched 1 group saw natural mother first, other group saw Lorenz first
- will follow first moving object seen
31
Findings from Lorenz (1935)
- suggest attachment is innate + programmed genetically
- having biological basis is adaptive
32
Imprinting - consequences,
- short-term survival
- helps develop longer-term internal templates for laster relationships
- occurs without feeding
- if no moving object seen within critical period - NO IMPRINTING
if none within 32hrs unlikely any attachment will ever develop
- is irreversible
33
Sexual imprinting
mates chosen based on object they imprinted on
34
What is Guiton's research (1966)? - SEXUAL IMPRINTING
- chicks exposed to yellow gloves during feeding - become imprinted
- shows animal NOT born with predisposition but on any moving object present
- later try to mate wth gloves - supporting sexual imprinting
35
Harlow's research (1959)
AIM: attachment is NOT based on feeding bond
METHOD: 16 monkeys placed in cages with 2 surrogate mothers (immediately after birth)
1 cloth mother - 1 wire mother
8 monkeys get milk from cloth M
8 monkeys get milk from wire M
36
Findings of Harlow's research
- both groups spent more time with CLOTH mother than wire
- only go to WIRE mother for food
- once fed infants go to CLOTH mother
- if frightened would go CLOTH mother
monkeys in for less than 90 days = reversible
monkey for longer than 90 days = become aggresive + later adequate mothers
AFTER STUDY
Social Abnormalities = froze/fled when approached by other monkeys
Sexual Abnormalities = didn't show normal mating behaviour + didn't cradle own babies
37
Learning Theories
Dollard + Miller (1950)
- attachment is learnt behaviour through OC + CC
- we learn to attach via food
- attachment focuses on associations + rewards by caregivers
38
Classical Conditioning in Attachment
milk (UCS) --------------> baby feels pleasure = UCR
mother (NS) + millk (UCS) ----------> baby feels pleasure (UCR)
mother (CS) -----------> baby feels pleasure (CR)
39
Operant Conditioning in Attachment
baby performs action - CRIES ---------> baby receives reward - MILK reliefs hunger
baby will repeats action
40
Monotropic/Evolutionary Theory
- Bowlby; attachment is an evolved behaviour due to survival value
41
What is MICIS?
M - onotropy
I - nternal working model
C - ritical peiod
I - nnate
S - ocial releasors
42
What is monotropy?
- infants form 1 special attachment with mother
- if mother is unavailable, can work with other family members
43
what is a internal working model
- forms template all future attachments
- based on monotropic attachment
44
What is a critical period
- monotropic attachment needs to occur before 2 1/2 years old
45
What is being innate?
- born with a drive to attach
- adaptive advantage = more likely to surivive
46
What are social releases?
- unlocks innate tendency for adults to care for them
- physically or behavioural
- e.g crying for milk,comfort etc
47
Explain Stranger situation attachment
- different types of attachment
- Mary Ainsworth (1970s) - student of Bawbly's
AIM: to observe attachment security in children within context of caregiver relationships
48
How was the Strange situation performed?
METHOD
- controlled observation of 12 - 18-month-olds
- observed using VIDEO CAMERAS in PURPOSE BUILT LAB PLAYROOMS
49
What are the first 3 stages of the Strange situation and what were they testing?
Stage 1 - testing SECURE BASE
- mother + child in room, child allowed to explore
Stage 2 - testing STRANGER ANXIETY
- stranger enters rooms, INITIALLY doesn't interact with baby
- stranger then tries to engage with the baby
Stage 3 - testing SEPARATION ANXIETY
- mother leaves room, baby is alone with stranger
- strangers tries to comfort baby (if upset)
50
What are the last 4 stages of Strange situation and what
Stage 4 - testing REUNION BEHAVIOUR
- mother returns to room
- stranger leaves
Stage 5 - testing SEPARATION ANXIETY
- mother leaves room
- infant is alone
Stage 6 - testing STRANGER ANXIETY
- stranger returns instead of mother
- tries to comfort/play with infant
Stage 7 - testing REUNION BEHAVIOUR
- mother reenters room
- stranger leaves
3 MINS each stage
- led Ainsworth to develop 3 broad types of attachment
51
What is secure attachment?
Safe base - use mother as safe base when exploring environment
Separation anxiety - mildly distressed when mother leaves
Stranger anxiety - wary of stranger alone,friendly when mother is present
Reunion behaviour - happy when mother returns,easily soothed
% of infants - 68
52
What is insecure-avoidant attachment?
Safe base - explores but doesnt used mother as secure base
Separation anxiety - infant doesn't show distress
Stranger anxiety - not distressed with stranger, plays normally
Reunion behaviour - shows on interest when mother returns
% of infants - 20
53
What is insecure resistant attachment?
Safe base - doesnt explore
Separation anxiety - shows signs of intense distress
Stranger anxiety - infants avoids stranger
Reunion behaviour - approaches mother,resists contact
% of infants - 12
54
Correlation of Caregiver Sensitivity?
Securely = attached infants,have more sensitive + attentive mothers
Insecure = mother are unresponsive to crying + less affectionate
Insecure avoidant = mothers are more rejecting + less attention to chldren
Insecure resistant = mother tends to be occupied with routine activities when holding child
55
Conclusion of Stranger situation
- attachment differs depending on sensitivity of mother
- it's an ethnocentric ( all experiments based on western world) experiment
all the babies were all American middle class babies
56
Introduction to cultural variations
Culture = group of people in society with shared beliefs + values
can have subcultures
- subcultures based on other characteristics; race, religion,gender or sexuality
57
What are two types of attachments across cultures?
Individualistic attachment (Western world)
- working towards own personal goals = at EXPENSE OF OTHERS
- empahasises PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE
Collectivist attachment (Eastern world)
- working for best overall or society altogether
- emphasises family + work goals
- high degree of interedependence
58
What was Ijzendoorn + Kroonenberg's research and findings (1988)?
meta-analysis = collecting data from various other studies + using findings
- completed meta-analysis on 32 studies across 8 countries
findings =
UK - most common is secure attachment
GER - highest number is avoidant children
JAP - few avoidant, high number of resistant children
1 1/2 x more variable within cultures THAN between cultures
Japan = resistant children
- practice interdependence
- mothers kept child at all times
- share room with parents
children wouldn't ignore adults - it's culturally disrespectful
America + UK
- practice independence (to an extent)
Germany = doesn't promote clingy children
- practice intense independence + strong exploration
CONCLUSIONS
- assumes all children within culture are being brought up the same way = oversimplifying
- children born with different temperaments doesn't matter how responsive mother is
59
Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation
Bowlby( 1953)
- commissioned by WHO to write about mental health of homeless children post war
- long term deprivation = harmful
HYPOTHESIS
- deprivation from main caregiver during critical period (2.5 years) will result in harmful effects
60
What is maternal deprivation?
- continuous care from mother is essential for normal PSYCHOLOGICAL development
- separation causes SEVERE DAMAGE to emotional + intellectual development
continuity hypothesis = prolonged separation, will have issues in adulthood
61
Deprivation theory
Deprivation -> In critical period -> IQ and mental retardation -> affectionless psychopath
Affectionless psychopath = no emotions,unable to form meaningful relationships, doesn't like
affection
Privation = not having opportunity to form bond in the first instance
Maternal Deprivation = bond/attachment has been formed with main caregiver but has been disrupted somehow
62
What are Bowlby's 44 thieves' research and findings?
AIM: to test hypothesis on MD
METHOD: interviewed 44 juvenile thieves and 44 non-delinquent children + their family
Findings
- 32% of young thieves were affectionless psychopaths
- 0% of controls showed affectionless psychopathy
- 86% of affectionless psychopaths had long periods of maternal SEPARATION before 5 years old
- ONLY 2 experienced prolonged separation = shows there are other factors that can cause AP
63
What Bowlby + Robertson's research?
observed children experience distress from separation from mother
3 progressive stage of distress
1. Protest = child cries + protest angrily, clings onto parent
2, Despair = protesting stops, refuses attempts of comfort
3. Detachment = child engages with others, rejects caregiver
SUPPORTS + FURTHERS Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory
64
What is Robertson + Robertson's research?
- observed 17 month old
- placed in residential nursey for 9 days (whilst mother was giving birth)
- father worked all day but visited John
Protest = sobbed + reisisted comfort
Despair = playing with toys
Detachment = wouldn't look at mother
65
What Splitz + Wolf's (1947) research?
AIM : study how the effects of separation can be severe
research in childre's orphanages in South America
1 institution - babies separated from mothers at 3 months
1 instution - babies of inmates were separated but regular visits
Prisoners babies thrives whilst orphaned displayed DEVELOPMENT DELAYS
-
66
Intro into Romanian Orphans
- problem began under COMMUNIST rule (banned abortions/denied access to contraception)
- many ABANDONED newborn babies
1989 WESTERN WORLD became AWARE that children were INSTUTIONALISED
institutionalised = behavior within institutions normalised but makes it harder to adapt to normal life
- 100,00 orphans in 600 orphanages = OVERPOPULATION
children spent most of the day in cribs = MALNOURISHED
67
What was Rutter's study on Romanian Orphans and the findings?
PROCEDURE: studied Romanian orphans adopted by British parents at different times with
Minimal adult contact
- LONGITUDINAL (long period of time) + NATURAL (natural environment)
1 group = 58 babies adopted before 6 MONTHS
1 group = 59 babies adopted between 6 - 24 MONTHS
1 group = 48 babies adopted between 2 - 4 YEARS
Findings
- earlier the adoption, high mean IQ
- adopted AFTER 6 months, signs of DISINHIBITED ATTACHMENT
disinhibited attachment = same type of attachment with everyone
due to NO MAIN CAREGIVER; but MULTIPLE nurses looking after them during CRITICAL PERIOD
68
What is institutionalisation and its correlation to dwarfism?
Garner (1972)
- insitutionalised children are SMALLER due to lack of EMOTIONAL CARE
Garner (1972) - case study of a young girl fed through a tube
- by 8 months, she withdrew herself + stunted physically
- then she THRIVED off attention + went back to normal
Conclusion
- lack of EMOTIONAL CARE = affects GROWTH HORMONES
69
What was Zeanah et al's research and the findings?
- 95 children (12-31 months)
- attachment assessed on children who spent MOST of their life in institutions
control group = 50 children who NEVER been in institutions
strange situation USED, carer asked if child had any UNUSUAL behavior
Findings
- 74% of the control group were SECURELY ATTACHED (higher than Ainsworth's research)
- 65% of group classes as having DISINHIBITED ATTACHMENT
children could be positively/negatively affected by having an appropriate ADULT relationship at this stage
70
Influence of Early Attachment on childhood + adult relationships
internal working model = template developed from 1st attachment with primary caregiver that
gives EXPECTATIONS for all future relationships
Securely attached to caregiver
- in childhood would have friends from primary school until adulthood
- in romantic relationships, it would be trusting, honest, healthy+ prolonged
Insecurely avoidance of caregiver
- emotionally unavailable
- in childhood, would be lonely (by choice or not) = more likely to be BULLIED
- in romantic relationships, intense + personal relationship (if any)
NEVER in emotional + prolonged relationships
Insecurely resistance of caregiver
- in childhood, more likely to be bully; want control + don't think they're good enough
- in romantic relationships, have trust issues + controlling
they FEAR REJECTION as an adult
