Attachment

Question 1

Definition of interactional synchrony

Answer 1

Responding at the same time, mirroring actions

Question 2

Definition of reciprocity

Answer 2

Interaction where the caregiver and infants take turns in actions

Question 3

Meltzoff and Moore (1997) - interactional synchrony study

Answer 3

• Showed babies 3 facial gestures and 1 manual gesture
• Independent observers recorded concordance of >0.92

Question 4

Schaffer’s 4 stages of attachment

Answer 4

1. Asocial (objects, 0-6 weeks)
2. Indiscriminate (anyone, 6 weeks - 6 months)
3. Specific (separation anxiety, 7+ months)
4. Multiple (anxiety decreases, 10+ months)

Question 5

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - Glasgow study

Answer 5

• 60 babies studied for 18 months
• Collected monthly data on behaviours, i.e separation anxiety, stranger distress etc.

Question 6

Glasgow study results (2)

Answer 6

• Found the highest separation anxiety from 25-32 weeks
• Quality of interaction determines strength of attachment

Question 7

Role of the father (2)

Answer 7

• Grossman et al, the quality of play affects future relationships.
• Fathers are able to demonstrate ‘sensitive responsiveness’

Question 8

Lorenz - imprinting study

Answer 8

• Geese eggs are randomly divided into two groups (mother vs incubator
• Found that baby geese become attached to the first moving thing after birth (him).

Question 9

Lorenz study findings

Answer 9

If imprinting does not occur in a critical period, irreversible attachment development damage

Guiton et al (1966) - chicken imprinting is not permanent

Question 10

Harlow monkey study (3)

Answer 10

• Rhesus monkeys reared by two surrogate mothers, wire+food vs cloth
• Time spent with each mother recorded
• Behaviours during fear conditions recorded

Question 11

Harlow findings (3)

Answer 11

• Monkeys spent most of their time with cloth mother, only used wire mother for food
• Monkeys returned to cloth mother for safety
• Monkeys without access to cloth mother exhibited permanent social disorders

Question 12

Explanations of attachment - learning theory

Answer 12

Dollard and Miller (1950) - children form attachment due to classical/operant conditioning via food (baby cries, given food (positive R), baby stops crying (negative R)

Question 13

Learning theory evaluation (3)

Answer 13

• Contradicted by Harlow monkey study
• Reductionist, more complex process in caregiver-infant interactions
• Contradicts synchrony and reciprocity principles

Question 14

Explanations of attachment - Bowlby’s monotropic theory (2)

Answer 14

• Babies have an innate drive to form attachments to survive, desire close proximity to carers
• Social releasers (cute face) unlocks the tendency for adults to care for a child
• Form one, monotropic attachment to primary caregiver

Question 15

What is the IWM and critical period? (Bowlby)

Answer 15

• Internal working model - attachment to mother provided as a blueprint for future relationships
• Critical period - attachment must occur in first 2 years, otherwise, long term damage occurs

Question 16

Bailey et al (2007) - Support for IWM

Answer 16

• Found that mothers of poorly attached children were more likely to have poor attachments with their own mothers

Question 17

Monotropy evaluation (3)

2 positives and 1 negative

Answer 17

• IWM supported by Strange Situation, insecurely attachment children come from insecurely attached parents
• RWA - Can cause primary caregivers (mainly mothers) to delay returning to the workplace
• Monotropy is scarce in collectivist cultures

Question 18

Ainsworth ‘Strange Situation’ (2)

Answer 18

• Mother and baby, a stranger enters, mother leaves.
• Child’s responses recorded (proximity seeking, response to being reunited etc), placed into 3 attachment categories.

Question 19

Attachment types and responses

Answer 19

Secure - Separation anxiety, easily soothed upon reunion
Insecure avoidant - Little to no separation anxiety, no difference when caregiver returns
Insecure resistant - High separation anxiety, ambivalent to caregiver when they return

Question 20

Strange Situation evaluations (3)

1 postive and two negative

Answer 20

• Highly controlled and replicable
• Cultural bias/population validity (100 US infants)
• Ethical concerns (20% of children cried)

Question 21

Van Izjendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) - metanalysis of attachment (3)

Answer 21

• Meta-analysis of 32 studies across a countries
• Individualist cultures (Germany) had higher insecure-avoidant
• Japan/Israel had high insecure resistant (rarely separated from mothers)

All countries had ‘secure’ as the highest

Question 22

VI and Kroonenberg evaluation (3)

1 positive 1 negative

Answer 22

• Multiple cultures can exist in one country
• Large sample (1,990 children)

Question 23

Bowlby’s 44 thieves study (1944) (2)

Answer 23

• 44 thieves
• 14 displayed affectionless psychopathy, 12 of these suffered maternal deprivation as a child

Question 24

44 thieves evaluation (3)

3 negative

Answer 24

• Correlation does not = causation
• Small sample
• Researcher bias

Question 25

Rutter (2011) - Romanian orphan study

Answer 25

- 165 adopted Romanian orphans assessed at 4,6,11 years old - Compared to 50 British orphans who were adopted at the same time

Question 26

Romanian orphan study findings (4)

Answer 26

- Lower IQ - Disinhibited attachment - Difficulty maintaining relationships - However, those adopted <6 months could catch up to their British counterparts

Question 27

Affectionless psychopathy

Answer 27

Inability to feel remorse/guilt or consequences of actions occurs as a result of maternal deprivation in the critical period

Question 28

What are the main studies for this topic? (6)

Answer 28

- Meltzoff and Moore (1997) - interactional synchrony - Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - Glasgow study - Bailey et al (2007) - mothers with poor attachment - Van Izjendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) - metanalysis of attachment - Bowlby's 44 thieves study (1944) - Rutter (2011) - Romanian orphan study