Attachment.

Question 1

Bowlby’s monotropic theory.

Answer 1

A theory of attachment proposed by John Bowlby, suggests attachment is the result of evolutionary behaviours towards a primary caregiver.

Question 2

Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation.

Answer 2

A theory for social deviance proposed by John Bowlby suggests that constant separation from the child and primary caregiver, results in permanent difficulties for the child in the future.

Question 3

Critical period.

Answer 3

A period of time (proposed by John Bowlby) within which if a child does not form an attachment, they will never form an attachment.

Question 4

Interactional synchrony.

Answer 4

A type of interaction between the child and primary caregiver in which both mirror eachothers actions.

Question 5

Interactional synchrony- Meltzoff and Moore (1977)

Answer 5

Observed beginnings of interactional synchrony in infants as young as two weeks old. An adult displayed one of three facial expressions or one of three distinctive gestures. The child’s response was filmed and identified by independent observers. An association was found.

Question 6

Reciprocity:

Answer 6

A description of how two people interact. Mother-infant interaction is reciprocal in that both infant and mother respond to each other’s signal and each elicits a response from the other.

Question 7

Reciprocity- Feldman (2007)

Answer 7

Feldman and Eidelman (2007)- mothers typically pick up on and respond to infant alertness around 2/3rds of the time.
Feldman (2007)-Around three months in this interaction tends to be increasingly frequent and involves close attention to each other’s verbal signals and facial expressions.

Question 8

Harlow’s monkeys:

Answer 8

Wire/cloth mother.
Prefer food or comfort- comfort.

Question 9

Harlow’s monkeys:
Evaluations.

Answer 9

-Lab experiment (control variables)
-They grew up to have social/ emotional disturbance.
-Growing up insolation effected their development.
-Lack of ecological validity.
-Ethical issues.

Question 10

Schaffer and Emerson- 5 stages of attachments.

Answer 10

1. 0-3 months- Asocial
2. 6 weeks -7 months- indiscriminate.
3. 7-11 months- discriminate.
4. 7-9 months- specific attachment.
5. 10+ months- multiple attachments.
   60 Glasgow babies, studied them every 4 weeks until they were 18 months old.
   1/2 primary attachments to mother, 1/3 to father.

Question 11

Geiger (1996)- role of the father.

Answer 11

He found that the way fathers play with their children is more exciting and pleasurable than mothers. This supports the view of the father as a playmate.

Question 12

Bowlby- What did he come up with?

Answer 12

~Evolution- biological need for attachment.
+ Harlow’s monkeys.
~Monotropy- main attachment, ‘safe-base’.
~Infant attachments are templated for future relationships.
~Critical period.
~Maternal deprivation.
-Schaffer and Emerson.
-Harlow: no monotropic bond.

Question 13

Secure attachement.

Answer 13

Strong.

Question 14

Insecure attachment.

Answer 14

Weak

Question 15

Insecure- avoidant:

Answer 15

Not distressed when left, will allow comfort from strangers.

Question 16

Insecure- resistant:

Answer 16

Uneasy around caregivers, upset if they leave.

Question 17

Ainsworth’s strange situation.

Answer 17

Study 12-18 month olds in a room with their mothers.
15% insecure-avoidant: didn’t mind if mum left.
70% secure attachment: avoid strangers.
15% insecure-resistant: hard to comfort when mum returns.

Question 18

Ainsworth’s strange situation.
Evaluations.

Answer 18

+ Lab study.
- The mom may not be their main attachment figure.

Question 19

Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg.
Cultural variations.

Answer 19

Meta analysis of 52 SS studies.
-There is more difference in attachment types within the countries.
-Secure attachment: Common
-Insecure-avoidant: highest in Germany- independence.
-Insecure- resistant: most common in Japan.
SS is not suitable cross- cultures- they don’t show the characteristics of the child.

Question 20

Bowlby- How long is the critical period?

Answer 20

3 years.

Question 21

Bowlby- 44 Thieves Study.

Answer 21

Studied 44 adolescent thieves and a control group of 44 teens who haven’t stolen.
-17 thieves had separated from their mothers before the age of 2, and only two were in the control group.
-14 thieves were shown to be ‘affectionless psychopaths’, and 12 out of that 14 experienced separation at a young age.
-Shows deprivation has harmful long-term effects.

Question 22

Bowlby- 44 Thieves Study.
Evaluation.

Answer 22

-Could any other factors affect it- poverty?
+ Other evidence: Goldfarb- orphans show to have a lower IQ and are less socially developed.

Question 23

Curtiss (1977)- Genie.

Answer 23

-No attachments, abused by parents until she was found at 13.
-Physically undeveloped
-Could only speak in sounds.
-Social and intellectual skills never developed.

Question 24

Rutter et al (2007)- Romanian orphan study.

Answer 24

111 orphans were adopted by British families- 52 were followed for this study for a prolonged period.
-Assessed at ages 4, 6 and 11.
-Those who were adopted before 6 months developed emotionally, just as any British orphan would.
-Those adopted after 6 months, showed social problems and signs of being insecure-avoidant.

Question 25

Hazen and Shaver- Love quiz.

Answer 25

Analysed 620 responses to find a correlation between childhood attachment and future relationships. -Secure = happy and trusting. -Insecure-avoidant = fear intimacy. -Insecure-resistant= worried they wouldn't be loved (Supports internal WM).

Question 26

Quinton et al.

Answer 26

Long-term effects of privation on women who were in an institution- struggle with parenting.

Question 27

Frued and Dan.

Answer 27

6 children from WW2 concentration camps were studied, they never formed attachments yet continued to have normal IQ levels and relationships.

Question 28

Schaffer and Emerson 91964) Parent-infant interactions:

Answer 28

Found that majority of babies did become attached to their mother first (around 7 months) and within a few weeks or months formed secondary attachments to other family members, including the father. 75% of infants formed an attachment to the father by 18 months.

Question 29

Grossman (2002) role of the father:

Answer 29

Carried out a longitudinal study looking at both parents' behaviour and its relationship quality of children's attachments into their teens. Quality of infant attachment with mothers but not fathers was related to children's attachments in adolescence, suggesting the father was less important. Overall, fathers have a different role in attachment- less nurturing more play.

Question 30

Tiffany Field (1978)- fathers as primary carers:

Answer 30

Filmed 4-month-old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers. Primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers. This behaviour is important in building an attachment with the infant. Key to the attachment is the level of responsiveness not the gender.

Question 31

Caregiver-infant interactions- Evaluations: Criticism, observing infants:

Answer 31

Many studies involving observation of interaction between mothers and infants have shown the same patterns of interaction (Gratier 2003). However, what is being observed is merely hand movements or changes in expressions. It is difficult to know the infant's perspective.

Question 32

Caregiver-infant interactions- Evaluations: Controlled observation, fine detail:

Answer 32

Observations of mother-infant interactions are generally well-controlled procedures, with both p/pants filmed from many angles. This ensures fine details of behaviour can be later analysed. Babies do not know they are being observed so there is no worry of demand characteristics.

Question 33

Caregiver-infant interactions- Evaluations: Does not tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity:

Answer 33

Feldman (2012) points out that synchrony and reciprocity simply describe behaviours happening at the same time. These are robust phenomena in the sense that they can be reliably observed, but it still doesn't tell us their purpose.

Question 34

Attachment Figures- Evaluations: Inconsistent findings on fathers:

Answer 34

Research into the role of the father in attachment is confusing because different researchers are interested in different questions. Some are interested in their role as secondary attachment figures, others as primary attachment figures. The former tended to see father behaving differently from mothers and having a distinct role. Latter find fathers have a maternal role.

Question 35

Attachment Figures- Evaluations: Children without fathers:

Answer 35

Grossman found that fathers as secondary attachment figures has an important role in the children's development. However, other studies have found children growing up in a single or same sex parent families do not develop differently from those in 2 parent straight families.

Question 36

Attachment Figures- Evaluations: Why aren't fathers primary attachment figures?

Answer 36

The fact fathers tend not to become primary attachment figures could simply be a result of gender roles. Or it could be that female hormones create a higher level of nurturing and therefore women are biologically predisposed to be the primary figure.

Question 37

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment- method:

Answer 37

60 babies- 29 female, 31 male. All from Glasgow and majority from working-class families. Babies and mothers were visited at home every month for the first year then again at 18 months. Researchers asked the mothers questions about the kind of protest their babies showed in 7 everyday separations. Designed to measure the infant's attachment. Also assessed stranger anxiety- infant's anxiety response to unfamiliar adults.

Question 38

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment- Findings:

Answer 38

Between 25 and 32 weeks of age about 50% of the babies showed signs of separation anxiety towards a particular adult (mother). Attachement tended to be to the caregiver who was most interactive and sensitive to infant signals and facial expressions. This was not necessarily the person with whom the infant spent most of the time. By 40 weeks 80% of the babies had a specific attachment and almost 30% displayed multiple attachments.

Question 39

Schaffer and Emersons stages of attachment found:

Answer 39

1. Asocial stage (first few weeks) 2. Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months) 3. Specific attachment (7 months) 5. Multiple attachments (shortly after)

Question 40

Schaffer and Emersons stages of attachment- Stage 1: Asocial stage

Answer 40

The baby is recognising and forming bonds with its carers. However, the baby's behaviour towards non-human objects and humans is similar. Babies show some preference for familiar adults in that those individuals find it easier to calm them. Babies are happier in the presence of other humans.

Question 41

Schaffer and Emersons stages of attachment- Stage 2: Indiscriminate attachment

Answer 41

They show a preference for people rather than inanimate objects, and recognise and prefer familiar adults. At this stage babies usually accept cuddles and comfort from any adult, and they do not usually show separation anxiety or stranger anxiety. Their attachment behaviour is therefore indiscriminate because it is not towards one person.

Question 42

Schaffer and Emersons stages of attachment- Stage 3: Specific attachment

Answer 42

Anxiety towards strangers and become anxious when separated from one particular adult (mother in 65% of cases). At this point the baby is said to have formed a specific attachment. This adult is termed the primary attachment figure. This person offers the most interaction and responds to the baby's signals with the most skill.

Question 43

Schaffer and Emersons stages of attachment- Stage 4: Multiple attachments

Answer 43

Shortly after the show attachment to one person they usually extend this to other adults with whom they regularly spend time. These relationships are secondary attachments. In schaffer and emerson's study 29% of children formed a secondary attachment within a month of their first. By the age on 1 the majority of infants had developed multiple attachments.

Question 44

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment- Evaluations: External validity.

Answer 44

Carried out in families' homes and most of the observation was actually done by parents during ordinary activities and reported to researchers later. This means that the behaviour of babies was unlikely to be affected by the observer. Good external validity.

Question 45

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment- Evaluations: Longitudinal design:

Answer 45

Better internal validity because it does not have the confounding variable of individual differences between p/pants.

Question 46

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment study- Evaluations: Limited sample characteristics:

Answer 46

Sample of 60 babies and their carers is good considering the large volume of data per p/pant. However, the fact that all families involved were from the same district and social class in the same city and at a time over 50 years ago is a limitation. Not generalisable,

Question 47

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment- Evaluations: Problem studying asocial stage:

Answer 47

Important interactions take place in the asocial weeks. The problem is that babies that are young have poor co-ordination and are generally immobile. It is therefore difficult to make any judgements about them based on observations of their behaviour.

Question 48

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment- Evaluations: Conflicting evidence of multiple attachments:

Answer 48

Not clear when. Bowlby (1969) indicates most babies form attachments to a single carer before they become capable of forming multiple. Van Ijzendoorn et al (1993) believe babies form multiple attachments from the outset- collectivist cultures as families work together,

Question 49

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) stages of attachment- Evaluations: Measuring multiple attachment:

Answer 49

Just because a baby is distressed when an individual leave the room does not necessarily mean that the individual is a true attachment figure. Bowlby (1969) pointed out that children have playmates as well as attachment figures and may get distressed when a playmate leave but not due to attachment. Schaffer and Emerson's stages do not leave a way to distinguish this.

Question 50

Learning theory:

Answer 50

A set of theories from the behaviourist approach to psychology, that emphasises the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour. Classical and operant conditioning.

Question 51

Attachment- classical conditioning:

Answer 51

Associating two stimuli together so that we begin to respond to one in the same way as we already respond to the other.

Question 52

Attachment- Operant conditioning:

Answer 52

Learning to repeat behaviour or not depending on the consequences. Reinforcement.