Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Psychology > Attachment > Flashcards

Attachment Flashcards

(131 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is attachment?

A

A strong, enduring, emotional reciprocal bond between 2 people. Especially an infant and caregiver.
This bond leads to proximity seeking behaviours.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the demonstrations of attachment?

A

Proximity
Separation distress
Secure-based behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is proximity as a demonstration of attachment?

A

Children remain physically close to those they are attached to.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is separation distress as a demonstration of attachment?

A

Infants are distressed when an attachment figure leaves their presence.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is secure-based behaviour as a demonstration of attachment?

A

Infants display secure-based behaviour when they return to their attachment figure while playing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is reciprocity?

A

Two-way, or something that’s mutual. Both the care giver and infant respond to each other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is interaction synchrony?

A

A simultaneous action or occurrence. It relates to the timing and patterns of the interaction. Can include the infant and care giver mirroring each other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What did Meltzoff and Moore (1977) study for interactional synchrony?

A

Conducted a controlled observation with infants to see if they copied adult facial expressions.
They found that infants as young as 2 weeks old imitate specific facial and hand gestures.
sticking tongue out and opening mouth.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What was the contrast to Meltzoff and Moore’s research?

A

In 1986, so 9 years later they demonstrated that interactional synchrony at 3 days old. Therefore behaviors must be innate.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the issue with Meltzoff and Moore’s study?

A

Later researchers have been unable to replicate the study.
Koepke et al (1983) couldn’t replicate it so we have to question whether the original study was correct.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What did Piaget study for interactional synchrony?

A

Believed that true imitation couldn’t occur until infants are older, approximately 1 year.
As it’s not uncommon for an infant to randomly stick their tongue out.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What did Condon and Sander (1974) study for interactional synchrony?

A

They analysed frame by frame video recordings of infants’ movements and found that on the first day of life, infants co-ordinate their actions in sequence with adult speech to form a kind of turn-taking conversation.
Therefore it has validity for interactional synchrony so supports.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What did Isabella et al find for variation in infants?

A

She found that there’s large variances in level of synchrony demonstrated by infants so therefore supports this idea.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What did Heimann find for variation of infants

A

Found that infants who show signs of high levels of synchrony from birth go onto have a better quality relationship at 3 months. Therefore supports this idea.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What did Le Vine et al find for variation in infants?

A

International synchrony isn’t universal. Found that Kenyan mothers have little physical contact or interactions with their infants, have a high proportion of secure attachments.
Therefore interactional synchrony isn’t necessarily for secure attachment.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What did Schaffer and Emerson (1964) study for stages of attachment?

A

How attachment develops.
They studied 60 infants that were ages 5 to 23 weeks, mainly from working class homes in Glasgow.
They were observed up until their first birthday every 4 weeks and the mothers had to report how their child had responded to being separated from their mother.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What did Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) study conclude?

A

The process for attachment is biological as it develops in infants at around the same age. Multiple attachments are the norm and of similar quality.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How many stages of attachment are there for Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) study?

A

Four

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is asocial of Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) stages for attachment?

A

From birth to around 2 months the infant will be equally interested in people and objects.
They believed that babies do recognise people as being more important than objects but is hard to measure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What’s indiscriminate Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) stages for attachment?

A

At around 4 months the infant prefers people to objects but doesn’t discriminate between adults and can be comforted by anyone.
The infant doesn’t show separation or stranger anxiety.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What’s specific of Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) stages for attachment?

A

By 7 months the infant begins to show a distinct preference for one primary attachment figure.
They will also show separation and stranger anxiety.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What’s multiple attachments of Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) stages of attachment?

A

By around 9 months the infant forms a wider circle of attachment including father, grandparents and siblings.
By 12 months, 75% of infants have multiple attachments.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What were the results from Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) study?

A

At around 7 months, 65% of children had at least two attachments with 31% having 5 or more.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Why might Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) study lack validity?

A

Demand characteristics as the mothers may change their answers to meet what they think is the aim for the study.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Why may Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) study not be generalised?
Can't be compared to real-world situations as the sample size was only 60 infants in working class families in Glasgow.
26
Why may Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) study have ecological validity?
The researchers observed behaviour in real world settings and looked at typical everyday actions of the infants.
27
What is the issue with the stages of attachment, for multiple attachments?
It's not clear is the primary attachment figure is more important than all other attachments. Rutter 1995 believed that all attachments are equally important. HOWEVER Bowlby believed that children have one prime attachment.
28
What did Carpenter (1975) study for multiple attachments?
He presented infants with familiar and unfamiliar voices and faces which sometimes didn't match. Found that two-week old's looked at faces longer when it was the mother's accompanied by her voice. Infant became distressed when they weren't the same Rejects the stage 1 of attachment.
29
Role of the Father
Historically the male would go to work and provide resources whilst the mothers would take care of the children. However, now the father plays a larger role in the rearing of the child.
30
What is the percentage of males that are the primary attachment figure for over the last 50 years?
10%
31
Why do some psychologists say that it is more difficult to form attachments with the male figure?
Different hormones in men/ women. Oestrogen underlies caring behaviour, so may make women more biologically suited.
32
What are the factors affecting relationships between fathers and children?
Degree of sensitivity. Marital intimacy.
33
What does Geiger (1996) suggest about the role of the father?
Supports role as a ‘playmate’ Found that fathers’ play interactions were more exciting, however mothers’ play was more nurturing.
34
What did Hrdy (1999) suggest about the role of the father?
Fathers don’t have as strong of a sensitive responsiveness. Found that fathers were less able to detect low levels of infant distress in comparison to mothers. So less likely to provide nurturing attachment.
35
What did Lamb (1987) suggest about the role of the father?
Children often prefer interactions with fathers when in a positive emotional state, looking for stimulation in comparison to mothers when they seek them for comfort.
36
What do researchers say is the importance of a rather figure?
Leads to a better relationship with peers. Able to regulate emotions. Boys specifically who grow up without a father figure are less likely to do well at school in comparison to girls.
37
What did Lorenz (1935) study for animal attachments?
Took goose eggs and kept them until about to hatch. Half of the eggs were places under a goose mother and other half were with Lorenz. When the geese hatch Lorenz imitated the mother’s actions and sounds.
38
What did Lorenz (1935) find to do with animal attachments?
Found that geese follow the first moving object they see, during 12-17 hours of being alive. This is known as imprinting so therefore attachment is innate.
39
What’s the support for imprinting of Lorenz’s (1935) study?
Guiton 1966 Found that leghorn chicks who were exposed to rubber gloves during feeding time became imprinted to their gloves.
40
What’s the decline for imprinting for Lorenz’s (1935) study?
Hoffman Suggests that imprinting is not a life long attachment and the effects can be reversed.
41
What did Harlow (1958) study for animal attachments?
Newborn monkeys bond to their mothers based on feeding.
42
How did Harlow (1958) complete just study for animal attachments?
16 monkeys were separated from mothers after birth and were placed in cages with surrogate mothers. One made of wire and the other cloth. The monkeys could get milk from wire monkey. They were studied for 165 days.
43
What did Harlow (1958) find for his animal attachment study?
Found that monkeys spent more time with cloth mother, even if she had no milk. Only went to wire mother for food. If a frightened object was placed in cage the infant went to cloth mother- SAFE BACE.
44
What were the long lasting effects on the monkeys for Harlow’s (1958) study for animal attachments?
He continued to study the monkeys as they grew up. Motherless monkeys were socially and sexually abnormal. No attachments made before 3 months, meant that they struggled to develop.
45
What are the issues for using animals for research?
Questionable and complex to apply to human behaviours. It’s unlikely that goslings and monkeys reflect the emotional connections and interactions of humans.
46
What is the learning theory in attachment ?
Behaviour is learned. We are born as blank slates and everything is explained by experiences. Learned through the environment.
47
For Pavlov’s dogs, but was the condition before conditioning?
Food ———> salivation UCS UCR
48
For Pavlov’s dogs, what was the condition during conditioning?
Bell + food ———> salivation NS UCS UCR
49
For Pavlov’s dogs, what was the condition after conditioning?
Bell ———> salivation CS. CR
50
What does UCS mean?
Uncontrolled stimulus
51
What does NS mean?
Neutral stimulus
52
What does UCR mean?
Uncontrolled response
53
What does CS mean?
Controlled stimulus
54
What does CR mean?
Conditioned response
55
What is cupboard love?
When a child will form an attachment on the basis of primary care provision and will increase from birth. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
56
How is attachment maintained through operant conditioning?
Learning is through reinforcement and punishment. Only reinforcement in attachment.
57
What is drive reduction theory?
When an animal is uncomfortable this creates a drive to reduce discomfort. For example a hungry infant.
58
What is positive reinforcement?
Rewards behaviour
59
What is negative reinforcement?
A response switches off something unpleasant. For example a baby crying when hungry is unpleasant, but when fed the negative feeling is taken away.
60
Why is hunger a primary drive?
It's innate and natural.
61
Who was the social learning theory proposed by for attachment?
Bandura
62
What is the social learning theory of attachment?
Behaviour is learned through observing and imitating others.
63
What did Hay and Vespo 1988 say about support for social learning theory?
Children observe their parents affectionate behaviour and imitates this.
64
What did Bowlby say for theory of attachment?
Attachment is based on evolution.
65
What theory did Bowlby (1969) come up with?
Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment
66
What is Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment?
Infants are born with certain characteristics which elicit care giving. for example smiling, crying or cut facial features.
67
What are certain characteristics that an infant has that elicit care giving called?
social releases
68
What is our internal working model?
Our mental representations of the world.
69
What is the critical period by Bowlby?
The time in which attachment must form, if it's to form at all.
70
What is the sensitive period by Bowlby?
The time outside forming an attachment
71
What's adaptive advantage in attachment?
Attachment enables us to effectively adapt to our environment.
72
What did Rutter et al (2010) say for Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment?
Critical period can also be known as the sensitive period as attachments can still form outside of the key developmental period.
73
What did Schaffer and Emerson say about Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment?
Suggested that during the multiple attachment stage, all of these work together for out internal working model. Whereas Bowlby's monotropic theory thinks that only the mother has a role in development.
74
What is continuity hypothesis?
Emotionally secure infants go onto be emotionally secure adults.
75
What did Sroufe et al (2005) say about continuity hypothesis?
Supported it. He studied ppts from infancy to late adolescents and those securely attached get rated for high emotional competency as adults.
76
What is the strange situation as an explanation for attachment?
A structured lab observation. It has 8 stages.
77
How many infants were used for the strange situation?
106 middle class US infants Aged between 5-18 months
78
What were the 4 behaviour categories explored?
1- willingness to explore 2-stranger anxiety 3- separation anxiety 4- reunion behaviour
79
What was the method of strange situation?
-Mother and infant in a room with infant free to explore. -Stranger enters room and talks to mother -Stranger tries to talk to infant through play and talk -Mother leaves room, and stranger tries to comfort baby if distressed -Mother returns and stranger leaves -Mother leaves -Stranger returns instead of mother and tries to play and comfort infant. -Mother re-enters and stranger leaves.
80
Who developed the strange situation?
Ainsworth
81
What were the three types attachment found by Ainsworth?
Secure insecure avoidant insecure resistant
82
What's secure attachment by the strange situation?
66% of infants willing to explore-mother as secure base high stranger anxiety high separation anxiety seeks proximity in reunion
83
What's insecure avoidant by the strange situation?
22% of infants willing to explore lower stranger anxiety low/no separation anxiety avoids proximity on reunion
84
What's insecure resistant by strange situation?
12% of infants won't explore high stranger anxiety distressed on separation from PAF seeks and rejects on reunion
85
What was said for reliability for the strange situation?
Main and Soloman (1978) Watched videos of Ainsworth's study and agreed with three attachment types but did add a fourth. Insecure disorganised
86
What was said for the validity of the strange situation?
Main and Weston (1981) Only measures attachment type between infant and mother. They found that children's behaviour changed depending on which parent they were with.
87
What was said for the predictive validity of the strange situation?
Hazan and Shaver (1987) Found that the childhood attachment type predicted attachment style found in adult relationships. Therefore has predictive validity
88
What is predictive validity?
valid overtime and can predict future outcomes
89
What was said about ecological validity of the strange situation?
Brofenbrenner (1979) Found infant attachment behaviour is stronger in a lab than when at home. It's an artificial way of assessing attachment. Demand characteristics by mother
90
What was said about the ethics of the strange situation?
The situation deliberately stresses out the infants to see their reactions. However, can be argued that the stress caused by the situation is no greater than that of everyday situations.
91
What is culture?
Rules, customs, morals and ways of interacting that bind members of a society or other collections of people together.
92
What’s an individualistic culture?
emphasises personal independence and achievement at the expense of group goals, resulting in extreme competition.
93
What’s a collectivist culture?
emphasises family goals above individual needs and desires.
94
What can researchers use Mary Ainsworth’s study for?
Check attachment all over the world to then compare types of attachment found in each culture.
95
Who completed a meta analysis for cultural variations of the strange situation?
Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg
96
What did Van Ijendoorn and Kroonberg complete for the strange situation?
A meta analysis
97
What was the procedure of Van Ijendoorn and Kroonberg’s study?
They reviewed 32 strange situation studies and collected data from USA, China, Japan, Israel, Sweden, Netherlands, UK and West Germany. To see what types of attachments are most common in each country.
98
What are inter-cultural differences/ similarities?
Between culture
99
What are intra-cultural differences/similarities?
Within cultures
100
What was the most common attachment type found for most cultures investigated by Van Ijendoorn and Kroonberg?
Insecure avoidant 9This is for except Japan and Israel)
101
What were the results of Van Ijendoorn and Kroonberg’s meta analysis?
Cultural variations are small Intracultural differences were 1.5 times greater than intercultural differences.
102
Why is the most common attachment type in Germany insecure avoidant?
The culture is individualistic. Their values show distance between mother and infant so low separation anxiety as encouraged to be independent.
103
What was Germany's most common attachment type?
insecure avoidant
104
What was Japan's most common attachment type?
insecure resistant
105
Why was japan's most common attachment type insecure resistant?
A collectivist culture. Infants are rarely separated from mothers so likely to show a high separation anxiety
106
What's the conclusion of Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg's study?
Bowlby is correct that attachment is innate, however culture does influence it.
107
What's a criticism of the number of studies used by Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg's study?
Limited number of studies. For example only 1 study from China, Sweden and the UK compared to 18 for the USA.
108
What's a strength of Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg's study?
Research was conducted by indigenous psychologists, from the same cultural background as the ppts. Therefore, no miscommunication takes place making results more accurate.
109
What's a weakness of Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg's study?
The impact of confounding variables. As studies were conducted in different countries factors such as poverty and social class haven't been taken into consideration.
110
What's the reliability of Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg's study?
It can be replicated as there are 8 clear stages that are with children from different countries.
111
What's the validity of Van Ijendoorn and Kroonenberg's study?
It doesn't take into consideration the environmental factors so links to confounding variables.
112
What is deprivation?
When a bond that’s been formed is broken and an element of care has been taken away.
113
What is privation?
Failure to form an attachment
114
What is Bowlby’s theory for deprivation called?
Theory of Maternal Deprivation
115
What is the study called that Bowlby conducted for maternal deprivation?
Bowlby 1944, 44 thieves study
116
What was the procedure of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?
His sample consisted of 44 criminal teenagers that are accused of stealing. All ppts were interviewed for signs of affectionless psychology, and families of the ppts to understand separation from mothers.
117
What is an affectionless psychopath?
An individual who has a lack of affection and guilt about their actions with a lack of empathy for the victims.
118
What were the results of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
He found that 14 out of 44 could be described as affectionless psychopaths with 12 of the 14 experiencing prolonged separation in the first 2 years of their life.
119
What did Bowlby conclude from his 44 thieves study?
Prolonged separation causes affectionless psychopaths.
120
What’s a limitation of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
The poor quality of evidence. Bowlby himself carried out both the family interviews and assessments of ppts to see if they were affectionless psychopaths.
121
What did Rutter 1981 say as a weakness of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
Bowlby’s research didn’t determine whether the children had a bond previously or not. As according to Rutter privation is the most damaging for the development
122
What’s the strength of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
Had a positive impact on how children were looked after during their hospital stays.
123
What’s does institutionalisation mean?
An organisation dedicated to a particular task such as looking after children waiting for adoption.
124
What’s an example of an institution?
An orphanage where children live for a long period of time, often with little emotional care.
125
What’s the difference between institutional care and family care?
Either no attachment figure or a strong attachment. Bored or stimulated. Less/no toys or a wide range of toys.
126
Romania- Romanian orphans
Contraception and abortions were illegal. The state couldn’t keep up with the population growth, where in 2001 there were 57,000 children in orphanages. Civil war made matters worse.
127
Who conducted the study into the Romanian orphans?
Rutter et al.
128
What was the procedure of Rutter et al’s study?
Followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans for many years ( longitudinal study ) who had been adopted by British couples. They were compared to 52 British orphans who had been adopted.
129
What was the aim of Rutter et al’s study?
Investigate the extent to which good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions.
130
At what ages did Rutter et al study for the Romanian orphans?
4 6 11 15 22-25
131
What was the results of Rutter at al’s study for the Romanian orphans about development?
When first arrived in Uk, half showed signs of delayed intellectual development. At age of 11 the children showed different rates of recovery.

Psychology (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions