Attachment

Question 1

What is reciprocity in the context of caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 1

Reciprocity is ‘turn-taking’ where each person responds to the other and elicits a response back.

Question 2

How does reciprocity manifest between a caregiver and an infant?

Answer 2

It can be the same response (e.g. mum waves, child waves back) or a different response (e.g. playing peekaboo).

Question 3

What did Brazelton et al (1975) compare reciprocity to?

Answer 3

Brazelton et al compared reciprocity to a dance where each partner responds to the other’s move.

Question 4

What is interactional synchrony?

Answer 4

Interactional Synchrony is ‘mirroring’ where mother and infant reflect each other’s actions and emotions in a coordinated way.

Question 5

Why is interactional synchrony important?

Answer 5

It is important for mother-infant attachment.

Question 6

What did Isabella et al (1989) find regarding interactional synchrony?

Answer 6

Higher levels of synchrony were associated with better quality attachment.

Question 7

What is a strength of research into caregiver-infant interactions regarding ecological validity?

Answer 7

Babies do not know they are being observed, leading to natural and spontaneous behavior.

Question 8

What benefits are associated with Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony according to research?

Answer 8

They are important for the development of empathy, language, and moral understanding.

Question 9

What is a weakness of research into caregiver-infant interactions related to interpretation?

Answer 9

Interpretations of behavior are subjective and can lack internal validity.

Question 10

What example illustrates the subjective interpretation issue in caregiver-infant interaction studies?

Answer 10

The meaning of infant behaviors such as hand movements or expressions is interpreted by researchers.

Question 11

What does the research into mother-infant interactions being ‘socially sensitive’ imply?

Answer 11

It could suggest that limited practice of interactional synchrony leads to poor attachment, impacting maternal choices.

Question 12

What caution do researchers take regarding conclusions from caregiver-infant interaction studies?

Answer 12

Researchers are careful not to imply that people should make particular lifestyle choices.

Question 14

What was the aim of Schaffer (1964)?

Answer 14

To investigate the formation of early attachments including:
* The age at which they developed
* Their emotional intensity
* To whom the child attached

Schaffer aimed to understand how attachment behaviors evolve in early childhood.

Question 15

How many babies participated in Schaffer’s study?

Answer 15

60 babies from Glasgow

The study focused on a specific population to explore attachment behavior.

Question 16

What method was used to measure separation anxiety in Schaffer’s study?

Answer 16

Mothers were asked questions about how the baby responded during everyday separations

This included scenarios such as when the mother leaves the room.

Question 17

At what age did 50% of babies show signs of separation anxiety towards a particular adult?

Answer 17

Around 7 months old

This marks the onset of specific attachment.

Question 18

What is meant by ‘specific attachment’?

Answer 18

Attachment towards a particular adult, usually the mother

This is characterized by signs of separation anxiety.

Question 19

What percentage of babies had specific attachments by 10 months old?

Answer 19

80%

This shows a significant increase in attachment behavior as children age.

Question 20

What is a strength of Schaffer’s study regarding ecological validity?

Answer 20

Participants likely behaved naturally during observations

Most observations were made in ordinary activities by parents.

Question 21

Why is Schaffer’s study considered to have good internal validity?

Answer 21

It was a longitudinal study that followed the same children over time

This design reduces participant variable effects.

Question 22

What is a weakness of how multiple attachment is assessed in Schaffer’s work?

Answer 22

Distress when a playmate leaves does not indicate a true attachment figure

This could lead to misinterpretation of attachment behaviors.

Question 23

What was Schaffer’s description of the first few weeks of attachment development?

Answer 23

Asocial

Other research suggests significant interactions occur during this time.

Question 24

What did Isabella et al (1989) demonstrate regarding early interactions?

Answer 24

The importance of Interactional Synchrony

This highlights that young babies may be more social than previously thought.

Question 25

What cultural differences affect the timing of multiple attachments according to Schaffer?

Answer 25

Collectivist cultures may develop multiple attachments from the start ## Footnote Research by Van Ijzendoorn (1993) supports this view.

Question 26

True or False: Schaffer suggests that babies form an attachment to a single main carer before developing multiple attachments.

Answer 26

True ## Footnote This view is challenged by findings from collectivist cultures.

Question 27

Asocial Attachment

Answer 27

Birth - 2 months, Similar responses to objects & people. Preference for faces/eyes.

Question 28

Indiscriminate attachment

Answer 28

2 months - 7 months, Preference for human company. Ability to distinguish between people but comforted by anyone

Question 29

Specific attachment

Answer 29

Around 7 months, Infants show a preference for one caregiver, displaying separation and stranger anxiety. The baby looks to that person for security, comfort and protection.

Question 30

Multiple attachment

Answer 30

Approximately 1 month after forming a specific attachment, Attachment behaviours are displayed towards several different, familiar people eg. siblings, grandparents etc

Question 32

What is the primary focus of most research into attachment?

Answer 32

The mother-child relationship ## Footnote This focus highlights the importance of the mother's role in early attachment formation.

Question 33

What did Shaffer (1964) find regarding the timing of attachments?

Answer 33

Babies formed their first attachment with the mother at about 7 months, with secondary attachments forming within the next month ## Footnote By 18 months, 75% of children had formed an attachment to their father, indicated by separation distress.

Question 34

According to Shaffer (1964), how are the roles of the mother and father characterized?

Answer 34

The mother is the primary attachment figure, and the father is a secondary attachment figure ## Footnote This suggests that the attachment to the mother is likely more important in the child's development.

Question 35

What did Grossman (2002) conclude about the mother-infant and father-infant attachment?

Answer 35

Mother-infant attachment is more important than father-infant attachment ## Footnote However, fathers' play quality with infants was related to later attachment quality.

Question 36

What unique role do fathers play in attachment according to Grossman (2002)?

Answer 36

Fathers have a different role related to play and stimulation rather than nurturing ## Footnote This indicates that fathers contribute to attachment through interactive play.

Question 37

What did Field (1978) find about the behaviors of primary care-giver fathers?

Answer 37

Primary care-giver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding the baby than secondary care-giver fathers ## Footnote This suggests that fathers can also be nurturing caregivers.

Question 38

Fill in the blank: According to the research, the key to attachment is the level of _______ not the gender of the parent.

Answer 38

responsiveness

Question 39

What is a strength of research into the role of the father?

Answer 39

It has important economic implications ## Footnote This research can provide justification for women considering whether to return to work.

Question 40

What is a weakness of research into the role of the father?

Answer 40

It has produced confusing conclusions due to different research focuses ## Footnote Different studies may explore the father as a secondary or primary care-giver, leading to varied findings.

Question 41

How might research into the role of the father be misused?

Answer 41

It can undermine the importance of contact with the father ## Footnote Some studies suggest children from single-parent families develop similarly to those from two-parent families.

Question 42

What explanatory limitations exist in research on the role of the father?

Answer 42

It fails to explain why fathers are less likely to act in a nurturing way ## Footnote This could be due to traditional gender roles or biological predispositions.

Question 43

What bias may affect the validity of research findings on the role of the father?

Answer 43

Social biases may lead to observer bias ## Footnote Researchers' stereotypes about gender roles may influence their observations.