Attachment Flashcards
(181 cards)
What is the definition of attachment?
An emotional tie between 2 people
What is attachment needed for?
- Needed for survival
- Physical, cognitive, neurological, emotional and psychological development
Who discovered the 4 behaviours which shows that two people are attached and when?
Maccoby (1980)
What are the 4 behaviours which shows that two people are attached?
- Seeking proximity
- Separation distress
- Joy on reunion
- General orientation
What are the two further behaviours which show 2 people are attached?
- Reciprocity
- Interactional Synchrony
What is the definition of seeking proximity?
Desire to be physically close
What is the definition of Separation Distress?
Upset or anxiety at separation
What is the definition of Joy on Reunion?
Happy and excited before and on being reunited
What is the definition of General Orientation of Behaviour?
Effectively attempts and maintains the attachment
What is the definition of Reciprocity?
Interactions between parent and offspring are a two-way process
Mother and Infant respond to each other’s signals, and each elicits a response from the other
What is the definition of Interactional Synchrony?
Mother and infant reflect both the actions and emotions of the other (biologically in sync)
Why are care giver interactions important?
- Allows positive relationships to be formed
- Physical development
- Psychological development
- For survival
- For socially
Why aren’t care giver interactions important?
- Learning can take place via other forms
- Learning can take place without interactions
- Can lead to greater independence
- Relationships with others are more important
Why are infant interactions important?
- Take place straight from birth so infants can signal their needs
- They help form how good or bad the attachment is
- The more sensitive everyone is to each other, the deeper (positive) the relationship
- Helps with development
Why aren’t infant interactions important?
- There is evidence of individuals who lack a parent and infant relationship with no adverse effects, i.e., feral children
- Children can have other significant figures in their lives, and these are not always their caregivers
Which psychologists came up with how attachments are formed and when?
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
Where did the Schaffer and Emerson research take place?
Glasgow
What research methods did Schaffer and Emerson use in their study and how long did they go on for?
Interviews and observations
What were the 4 main stages Schaffer and Emerson discovered about how attachments occur?
- Indiscriminate of attachments (A-Social)
- Beginning of attachments (Indiscriminate)
- Discriminate attachments (specific)
- Multiple attachments
What happens within the first stage of attachment (indiscriminate of attachments)?
- Occurs from birth - around 2 months
- Infants produce similar responses to animate (real people) and inanimate objects (toys)
- Infants are more content around people
- Interactional Synchrony and Reciprocity are key in playing a role in the formation of the attachment
What happens within the second stage of attachment (Beginning of attachments)?
- Occurs around the age of 2-4 months
- Infants are much more social
- Prefer human company to company of inanimate objects
- Can distinguish between familiar people and unfamiliar people but comforted by anyone
What happens within the third stage of attachment (Discriminate attachments)?
- Occurs around 4-7 months
- Has formed an attachment to one primary attachment figure
- Shows separation anxiety from PAF
- Shows joy on reunion
- Shows stranger anxiety
What happens within the fourth stage of attachment (Multiple attachments)?
- Occurs from 7 months to 12 months
- Starts to develop multiple attachments with other consistent people in their lives
- Starts to have Separation Anxiety from Secondary/Multiple Attachment Figures
What are the positives of the stages of attachment proposed by Schaffer and Emerson?
+ Stages were identified from the research conducted in the real world with Mothers and Infants over 12 months
+ Used to see the different developmental milestones an infant will go through, highlights expected behaviours