Attachment Flashcards
(54 cards)
What is psychosocial development?
When children form relationships,
Interact with others,
Learn to understand and manage their feelings.
Outline 3 methods of communication between an infant and a caregiver
Interactions synchrony-
Form of tun taking as infant moves body to the rhythm of caregivers voice
Reciprocity-
Both producing responses from each other
Mimicking-
Infant copies the actions of their caregiver
Outline research into interactional synchrony
Isabella et al.
Found that infants with secure attachments demonstrated intersectional synchrony in the first year of their life.
Outline research into mimicry
Meltzoff and moore
Infants aged two to three weeks would mimic parents,
Mimicry is an innate ability that helps in the formation of an attachment
Outline research into bodily attachment
Klaus and kennel
Compares mothers who had extended contact with child and ones who only had contact when feeding,
Attachments were stronger with more bodily contact
Evaluate klaus and kennel
Strength
Real world effects,
Hospitals give the mothers their infant as soon as possible
Durkin
Disputed claiming that attention was given to unmarried mothers and poor
Chateau and wiberg
Did same as klaus and kennel but with Swedish mothers and found similar results.
Describe and evaluate a study into interactional synchrony
Condon and sander (1974)
Videos of parents talking to their newborns were analysed frame by frame
. The behaviour of the newborn was noted.
Results
Newborns coordinate their movements and gestures with human speech
Concluded that IS starts at a young age
Meltzoff and moore claimed this was two weeks
High ecological validity,
Parents and babies in their own environment
However
Behaviour of newborns is open to interpretation
Describe Schaffer and Emerson
Find age when attachments start and how intense they were
Studied 60 babies
Working class area in Glasgow
1st year- observing them every 4 weeks
Then at 18 months
Interviews also conducted with mothers
,
Questions include who baby looks at and responds to
Strength of attachment measured by:
Separation anxiety-
How they feel away from their caregiver
Stranger anxiety-
How they feel around people who aren’t their caregiver
Findings:
First specific attachment formed by 50% of infants between 25-32 weeks
Multiple attachments formed by 18 months, 31% had 5 or more attachments
Outline the stages of attachment found by Schaffer and Emerson
Asocial
Indiscriminate
Specific attachment
Multiple attachment
Describe the asocial stage
0-6 weeks
Attention seeking behaviour
Describe the indiscriminate stage
6 weeks - 7 months
Seeks attention from anyone
Preferences are shown to familiar faces
Describe specific attachment dtage
7-11 months
Child is primarily attached to main caregiver
If separated, child becomes distressed
Describe the multiple attachment stage
11-
Multiple attach,ents for different purposes,
Mother for loving care
Father for play
What were opposing beliefs about multiple attachments
Bowlby
Children had one primary attachment
Other attachments formed after the primary attachment were less important
Rutter(1995)
All attachments are of equal importance
Attachments combine to help a child’s internal working model
What is a strength to multiple attachments
Evolutionary advantage
If a child loses a figure, there are others to take its place
Explain the role of the father and factors of a father-child dynamic
Researchers believe the father acts more like a playmate.
Mothers are often the primary caregiver because of their sensitive responsiveness,
This can also be found in fathers who are the main caregiver
Factors
Degree of sensitivity-
Helps to develop secure attachments
Marital intimacy-
Attachent to children = attachment to partner
Single parent fathers-
Form similar to own parents
Supportive co parenting-
Level of support father gives to his partner affects attachment to children
Outline research into the role of the father
Geiger(1996)
Fathers playing is more exciting than mothers. Supports view as playmate
Lamb(1987)
Children interact with fathers when in a positive mental state, seeking stimulation rather than comfort
Also found
If father becomes primary caregiver they become more responsive,
Not a biological ability limited to women
Hardy(1999)
Fathers are less able than mothers to detect low levels of infant stress,
Unsuitable as primary caregivers
Describe father attachment implications
Secure attachments means
Better relationships with peers
Less problem behaviour
Better at regulating emotions
If without father:
Do less well at school
Higher levels of risk taking and aggression, especially in boys
Suggests fathers can help prevent negative developmental outcomes
Evaluate research into the role of the father
Pedersen(1979)
Outcomes could be due to socio-economic backgrounds, many studies have focused on female single mothers and poorer families
Evidence suggests fathers are just as capable of displaying responsiveness but social conventions see fathers differently
Amount of interaction is important
Describe Ross et al(1975)
Correlational study
Measured number of nappies changed and strength of attachment
Results
Positive correlation
Conc
More time a father spends engaged in care giver activities, the stronger the attachment will be
Easy to replicate
Practical applications for parenting
Lacks temporal validity, based in 1975
Correlations cannot show cause
Describe Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg(1988)
Meta analysis of 32 cross-cultural studies of attachment
Using strange situation
Most secure-
Britain 75%
Most avoidant-
West Germany 35%
Most resistant-
Israel 29%
Although secure attachment was the most common, cultural variations may explain child rearing styles rather than attachment.
Strange situation isn’t culturally biased towards western child rearing practices
Strength
Useful diagnostic tool
Limit
Small samples, hard to generalise
Variations within cultures greater than between cultures
Not suitable for studying cross cultural variations as based on western ideals
Describe and evaluate Harlow
1950s
Separated newborn monkeys from their mothers.
Presented with 2 surrogate mothers
One was wire and had milk
Other was softer but didn’t dispense milk
Monkeys preferred the soft monkey even though they didn’t show nourishment
Only went to metal when needed to be fed
Concluded that there was more to a mother child bond than nourishment
Feelings of comfort and security are critical to maternal infant bonding which leads to healthy psychosocial development
What is meant by imprinting
When an animal attaches to a moving thing,
Usually immediately after they hatch
Innate instinct that is genetically passed down rather than a learned behaviour
Describe Lorenz(1935)
Hatched a group of grey lag geese
Half were incubated
Half left with their mother
Once hatched, incubated geese followed him around like they would a mother
Geese imprinted on Lorenz
L tested by putting them all together in an upside down box
Once removed, only his imprinted geese followed him
