Attachment Flashcards
(112 cards)
1
Q
What is attachment in psychology?
A
Attachment is when infants and caregivers develop deep and lasting emotional bonds. Both members seek closeness and feel more secure when close to their attachment figure.
2
Q
What are two complex caregiver-infant interactions?
A
Reciprocity and interactional synchrony.
3
Q
What is reciprocity?
A
Reciprocity is a mutual turn-taking form of interaction where both caregiver and infant respond to each other’s signals and cues.
4
Q
What is interactional synchrony?
A
It is a simultaneous interaction where the caregiver and infant appear to act rhythmically with matching behaviour and emotional states.
5
Q
What is imitation in caregiver-infant interactions?
A
The infant directly copies the caregiver’s expression.
6
Q
What is sensitive responsiveness?
A
It’s when the adult correctly interprets the infant’s communication and responds appropriately (e.g., offering milk when a baby cries).
7
Q
What is child-directed speech (CDS)?
A
Also called baby talk, CDS is when the caregiver uses a sing-song tone, slower pace, and exaggerated pitch to maintain the infant’s attention.
8
Q
Why is body contact important?
A
Skin-to-skin contact is essential for bonding, especially in the first few hours (e.g., during breastfeeding).
9
Q
What did Meltzoff & Moore (1977) study and find?
A
They showed facial gestures to infants aged 12–21 days. The babies imitated expressions, suggesting early ability to observe and reciprocate interaction.
10
Q
What did Condon & Sander (1974) find?
A
They recorded neonates and adults, showing evidence of interactional synchrony and suggesting humans have an innate ability for social interaction.
11
Q
Why do micro-observation studies of interactions have high internal validity?
A
They use multiple observers and fine frame-by-frame analysis, controlling extraneous variables.
12
Q
Why are inferences a criticism in this research?
A
Infants can’t explain internal states, so researchers infer from behaviour — which could be incorrect or reflect unconscious responses (e.g., reflexes).
13
Q
What is a social sensitivity concern in caregiver-infant interaction studies?
A
Mothers may feel blamed if they return to work early and fail to develop strong interactional synchrony, leading to guilt or criticism of parenting.
14
Q
What is Stage 1 of Attachment – Schaffer?
A
Asocial (0–6 weeks): Babies show similar responses to objects and people, but prefer humans and are comforted by anyone.
15
Q
What is Stage 2 of Attachment – Schaffer?
A
Indiscriminate attachment (6 weeks–7 months): Babies prefer familiar adults but do not show separation or stranger anxiety.
16
Q
What is Stage 3 of Attachment – Schaffer?
A
Specific attachment (7–9 months): Attachment to one primary caregiver forms. Stranger and separation anxiety develop.
17
Q
What is Stage 4 of Attachment – Schaffer?
A
Multiple attachments (9+ months): Infants form bonds with others (fathers, siblings, grandparents), and anxiety reduces.
18
Q
What did Schaffer & Emerson (1964) do?
A
Observed 60 working-class Glasgow babies monthly and again at 18 months to study attachment stages.
19
Q
What did they find about separation anxiety?
A
It developed in 50% by 25–32 weeks; 87% had multiple attachments at 18 months.
20
Q
Why is Schaffer’s study high in mundane realism?
A
It was conducted in the infants’ homes during everyday interactions, making findings more valid.
21
Q
What are the limitations of Schaffer’s sample?
A
Only 1960s working-class families in Glasgow — not generalisable or temporally valid due to cultural changes.
22
Q
What did Schaffer find about fathers as attachment figures?
A
Only 3% of babies had fathers as the primary attachment figure, but 75% had formed an attachment by 18 months.
23
Q
What is the father’s role in active play?
A
Fathers tend to focus on stimulating play and risk-taking rather than comforting behaviours.
24
Q
How can fathers act as primary caregivers?
A
If men take that role, they may behave more like mothers — showing similar sensitivity.
25
What did Field (1978) find?
Primary caregiver fathers were more sensitive and used more baby talk and smiling than secondary fathers.
26
What did Verissimo (2011) find?
Strong father-child attachment predicted better peer relationships in preschool.
27
Why is research into the father socially sensitive?
It can imply fathers are inferior or unnecessary, which may upset certain families or discourage paternal involvement.
28
What are the economic implications of this research?
Findings could influence parental leave policies, promoting gender equality in caregiving and reducing the pay gap.
29
What is imprinting according to Lorenz?
Certain animals, such as many species of birds, are known to attach to their mother strongly; the infant animal will then follow their mother. Lorenz termed this process imprinting and tested this early bond.
30
What was Lorenz’s (1935) procedure?
Greylag goose eggs were randomly divided; half were taken to be hatched by Lorenz using an incubator, and the other half were hatched naturally by the biological mother. In later studies, he varied the time between hatching and when the gosling first observed a moving object.
31
What did Lorenz (1935) find?
• The goslings who Lorenz had hatched imprinted on him, following him rather than the Mother Goose.
• Goslings hatched in a natural environment imprinted on the Mother Goose and followed her.
• When Lorenz placed all goslings in a box, those who had imprinted on him followed him upon release.
• Lorenz found a critical period of around 32 hours; if a gosling did not see a large moving object to imprint on in this time, it lost the ability to imprint.
32
What did Harlow test in his study?
Harlow tested the cupboard love theory — the idea that babies love mothers because they feed them — by examining the role of contact comfort.
33
What was Harlow’s (1958) procedure?
Infant rhesus macaque monkeys were removed from their biological mothers and placed in cages with two surrogate mothers:
• One mother provided milk but not comfort (wire mother)
• The other provided comfort (cloth mother) but no food.
Time spent with each surrogate and responses to a mechanical monkey were recorded.
34
What were Harlow’s (1958) findings?
• Infant monkeys spent most of the time with the comfort-providing cloth mother, only using the 'food mother' when hungry.
• Monkeys returned to the cloth mother when frightened.
• Monkeys without a cloth mother showed signs of stress-related illness.
• Follow-up studies showed that maternal deprivation led to permanent social disorders in adulthood, including difficulty mating and parenting.
35
What did Harlow’s research suggest?
Rhesus macaques have a biological need for physical contact and will attach to whatever provides comfort, not food — providing evidence against the cupboard love theory.
36
What is a limitation of generalising animal findings to humans?
Generalisation of animal behaviour to human psychology is problematic. Humans and animals have very different biology and experiences. Even Harlow’s findings on primates, who are genetically closer than birds, should not automatically be applied to humans.
37
What is a strength of Harlow’s findings on contact comfort?
Harlow’s findings have been highly influential. Bowlby argued that, similar to macaques, human infants crave comfort from their mothers and form a monotropic relationship. If this fails, it may result in poor adult socialisation, similar to monkeys without cloth mothers.
38
What is a strength of Lorenz’s findings on critical period?
Lorenz’s findings on the critical period in geese have been influential. Bowlby argued for a similar critical period in humans (6–30 months), where failure to form attachment may cause permanent problems. However, some argue this period is sensitive, not critical, as later care can help.
39
What are some practical applications of Harlow and Lorenz’s work?
Their findings influenced early childcare. For example, immediate contact after birth is now encouraged. Social workers also use this research to investigate neglect, understanding its long-term effects.
40
What are ethical criticisms of Harlow’s research?
Harlow caused significant harm to monkeys, inducing high stress and long-term suffering. This damaged psychology’s public image. However, some argue the long-term benefits for human infants justify the research under cost-benefit analysis.
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42
What is the learning theory of attachment according to Dollard and Miller (1950)?
It is based on the principles of learning theory, arguing that infants become attached to their caregiver because they learn that the caregiver provides food.
43
What does classical conditioning mean in the context of attachment?
Classical conditioning is learning due to association. When two stimuli are presented to a creature at the same time, an association can form. In the case of Cupboard Love, the food (unconditioned stimulus) provides pleasure (unconditioned response). The mother, who is present when the baby is fed, becomes associated with the food. She changes from a neutral stimulus to a conditioned stimulus. The infant now experiences a conditioned pleasure response in the presence of the mother.
44
What is operant conditioning in relation to attachment?
Operant conditioning is learning due to patterns of reinforcement.
## Footnote
Positive reinforcement: When a parent feeds a crying baby, the baby is more likely to repeat the crying behaviour to get food. Negative reinforcement: When the feeding stops the baby’s crying (removes the unpleasant stimulus), the parent’s behaviour is reinforced.
45
What is attachment as a secondary drive?
Drives are the desire to complete an action. Primary drives (e.g. hunger) are instinctive. Secondary drives are learnt. According to Cupboard Love, we learn to want attachment because it leads to satisfying a primary drive (e.g. hunger).
46
What is a strength of the learning theory explanation for attachment?
Has face validity: makes intuitive sense that babies cry when they learn crying gets them attention and food. Based on behaviourist principles with strong support from classical and operant conditioning research like Pavlov and Skinner.
47
Why is learning theory seen as environmentally reductionist?
It reduces complex caregiver-infant interaction to simple stimulus-response reinforcement, ignoring how parents consciously choose to care for their children.
48
What evidence rejects the cupboard love theory?
Harlow’s monkey study: monkeys attached to a cloth mother who didn’t provide food rather than a wire mother who did. Suggests contact comfort, not food, causes attachment.
49
What is an alternative explanation to learning theory?
Bowlby’s monotropic theory: an evolutionary explanation that argues attachment is instinctual, not learned. Babies attach to one caregiver (monotropy) who provides safety and security.
50
What is Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
An evolutionary explanation of attachment. Babies are innately driven to form a strong attachment to one caregiver (monotropy) and stay close to ensure proximity and safety. This behaviour is instinctual and vital for survival.
51
What are social releasers according to Bowlby?
Signals like crying, smiling, and vocalisations that instinctively attract caregiver attention. Mothers are biologically programmed to find these behaviours cute or distressing.
52
What is Bowlby’s critical period for attachment?
Based on Lorenz’s 32-hour period in geese. Bowlby says first 30 months is the human critical period. Lack of attachment in this time = permanent negative consequences (social, intellectual, emotional).
53
What is Bowlby’s internal working model?
An internal blueprint for future relationships formed from early attachment. Tells us what to expect from others—whether people can be trusted or relationships are loving.
54
What does Bowlby suggest about strong vs. weak attachments?
Strong attachments come from consistent care. Weak attachments form with frequent/long separations. Good attachments = secure base behaviour (infant explores but returns to caregiver). Poor attachments = distress when separated or with strangers.
55
What are the strengths of Bowlby’s theory?
Based on Lorenz’s critical period findings. Bowlby’s work inspired later researchers like Mary Ainsworth and impacted early childcare policies: immediate physical contact encouraged and social services monitor infant neglect.
56
How does Bowlby’s theory show gender bias?
Suffers from alpha bias: exaggerates gender differences. Claims the mother provides care while the father provides resources. This reflects a 1940s view and lacks temporal validity due to changes in modern families where both parents may share caregiving.
57
What are alternative explanations challenging Bowlby’s theory?
Learning theory says attachment is learned, not instinctual. Studies like Harlow’s provide counter-evidence: monkeys attached for comfort not food. Many controlled experiments support learning theory principles.
58
What is the continuity hypothesis?
The idea that early attachment style predicts later relationship style via the internal working model. Criticised as deterministic: suggests people don’t have conscious control over relationships later in life.
59
60
What behaviours did Ainsworth use to identify attachment types?
Proximity to the mother, exploration/safe base behaviour, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, reunion response, and the sensitive responsiveness of the mother to the infant’s needs.
61
Describe the Insecure Avoidant (Type A) attachment type.
Infants keep a distance from their mother, not using her as a secure base but exploring freely. They show low stranger anxiety and are indifferent to her return, not attempting to get comfort. Their mothers tend to show little sensitive responsiveness.
62
Describe the Secure (Type B) attachment type.
Infants use their mother as a safe base as they explore. They show moderate levels of stranger anxiety and separation anxiety. A happy reunion response allows them to settle quickly. Caregivers show sensitive responsiveness.
63
Describe the Insecure Resistant (Type C) attachment type.
Infants don’t explore and are clingy. They show high stranger and separation anxiety, appearing ambivalent when their mothers return. They both crave and reject attention. Mothers are inconsistent with their sensitive responsiveness.
64
What was Ainsworth’s (1970-73) Strange Situation procedure?
106 infants (48–57 weeks) and mothers participated in a controlled lab setting. Each stage lasted 3 minutes and was recorded. Stages assessed proximity, willingness to explore, use of mother as a secure base, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, reunion response, and sensitive responsiveness.
65
What are the 8 episodes of the Strange Situation?
1. Observer introduces mother and baby. 2. Baby explores freely, mother non-interactive. 3. Stranger enters, sits, then approaches baby. 4. Mother leaves, stranger interacts. 5. First reunion: mother comforts, then leaves. 6. Second separation: baby alone. 7. Stranger re-enters. 8. Second reunion: mother returns, stranger leaves.
66
What did Ainsworth’s findings show?
Three distinct attachment types were identified: • 66% Secure (Type B) • 22% Insecure-Avoidant (Type A) • 12% Insecure-Resistant (Type C) These correlated with mothers’ sensitive responsiveness.
67
What did Ainsworth’s research suggest about secure attachments?
Secure attachments develop due to the attention of a consistently sensitively responsive mother.
68
Give a strength of the Strange Situation’s methodology.
It is a highly controlled observational research study with standardised procedures and behaviour categories. It allows for replication and cross-group comparison.
69
What does the Strange Situation have in terms of predictive validity?
Attachment types identified predicted outcomes: securely attached children had better social, emotional, and academic outcomes. McCarthy (1999) found adults with the most secure infant attachments had secure friendships and romantic relationships.
70
What is a cultural limitation of the Strange Situation?
It was developed in the USA and may lack validity in other cultures. For example, Japanese infants may not show distress due to different parenting norms, which could be misinterpreted as insecure attachment.
71
What is a limitation of the Strange Situation’s artificiality?
The study is conducted in a lab, not a natural environment. Mothers may act differently due to observation, showing more sensitive responsiveness — risking demand characteristics.
72
What is the temperament hypothesis?
The Strange Situation may measure temperament rather than attachment. High reactivity leads to distress (misinterpreted as insecure), and low reactivity to less distress. It reflects both infant and mother’s interaction challenges.
73
What was Van Ijzendoorn’s (1988) cultural variation procedure?
A meta-analysis of 2000 infants in 32 studies across 8 countries, using the Strange Situation to classify attachment types.
74
What were Van Ijzendoorn’s general findings?
Secure attachment was most common in all countries. Avoidant was more common in Western cultures, resistant more common in collectivist cultures. There was more variation within countries than between countries.
75
What individual cultural findings did Van Ijzendoorn observe?
• Germany: highest avoidant (35%) • Japan: most resistant (27%) • China: lowest secure (50%) • UK: 22% avoidant, 75% secure, 3% resistant
76
What did Van Ijzendoorn’s research suggest?
Suggests secure attachment is the global norm. Biological basis likely. However, variation in parenting explains differences — e.g. Germany’s independence focus or Japan’s high closeness explains more avoidant or resistant types.
77
What is a criticism of the Strange Situation and Van Ijzendoorn’s findings?
They may lack temporal validity. For example, Simonelli et al. (2014) found fewer secure and more avoidant types in modern Italian families due to working mothers. Parenting styles have changed.
78
What are three additional limitations of Van Ijzendoorn’s study?
1. Some countries only had one study, risking unrepresentative samples. 2. Cultural groups aren’t homogeneous — more variation within than between. 3. Using Strange Situation in non-Western cultures may show ethnocentrism — applying Western norms globally.
79
80
What is monotropy?
Monotropy is the unique attachment bond between an infant and their primary caregiver (usually the mother), who acts as a secure base for exploration and safety.
81
What is maternal deprivation according to Bowlby?
If the child’s monotropic attachment is disrupted during the critical period, prolonged separation can cause irreversible negative consequences on social, emotional, and intellectual development.
82
What is the critical period according to Bowlby?
The first 30 months (2.5 years) of life, though some risk may extend up to 5 years.
83
What are the consequences of maternal deprivation?
1. Delinquency: Disrupted social development can result in behaviour outside of acceptable norms, e.g. petty crime.
2. Affectionless Psychopathy: Disrupted emotional development can make children unable to show empathy or guilt.
3. Low IQ: Disrupted intellectual development can result in lower cognitive ability compared to peers.
84
What is the internal working model?
The child’s early monotropic attachment becomes a schema or mental model for future relationships.
85
What is the continuity hypothesis?
Deprivation disrupts the ability to form a healthy internal working model, leading to future relationship issues and poor parenting.
86
What support is there for Bowlby’s theory?
44 Thieves Study (1944): 44 thieves vs. 44 controls; 14 thieves showed affectionless psychopathy; 12 of those had experienced prolonged separation. Suggests a link between maternal deprivation and delinquency.
87
What is a criticism of Bowlby’s theory?
Correlation not causation: Other factors like poverty or criminal influence could explain the link with delinquency.
88
What social change impact did Bowlby’s work have?
Bowlby’s work led to policy changes: more visiting time for mothers in hospitals, longer maternity leave, more focus on early childcare.
89
What is a gender bias in Bowlby’s theory?
Overemphasises the role of the mother. Ignores the role of fathers or other attachment figures.
90
What evidence is there against monotropy?
Schaffer found 87% of infants form multiple attachments by 18 months. Fathers also play key roles (e.g. risk-taking, socialisation). Suggests children don’t rely solely on mothers.
91
What is a challenge to the critical period?
Later findings (e.g. Rutter) show that with proper care, many of the effects of deprivation can be reversed — more of a sensitive period than critical.
92
What was the procedure of Rutter’s Romanian Orphan Study?
Studied children adopted at different ages (<6 months, 6–24 months, >2 years) vs. a British control group. Assessed at ages 4, 6, 11, and 15.
93
What were the findings at age 6 in Rutter’s study?
Children adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment — overly friendly and indiscriminate behaviour towards strangers.
94
What were the findings at age 11 in Rutter’s study?
1. Disinhibited behaviour persisted in many.
2. Delayed physical, emotional, intellectual development.
3. Average IQ for those adopted after 24 months was 77, vs. 102 for those adopted before 6 months.
4. Quasi-autism seen in a small number of children — trouble understanding social cues.
95
What is the conclusion of Rutter’s Romanian Orphan Study?
Adoption before 6 months leads to better recovery. Suggests Bowlby’s critical period is better understood as a sensitive period.
96
What are the practical applications of Rutter’s study?
Led to improved policy and care standards in orphanages and adoption agencies — e.g. earlier adoption, better screening of adoptive parents.
97
What is a bias concern in the ERA study?
Romanian adoptees weren’t randomly selected — could cause selection bias (e.g. more sociable children chosen first).
98
What challenges the critical period in Rutter’s study?
Children adopted late still improved, suggesting that damage is not irreversible — supports a sensitive period rather than a strict critical one.
99
What supporting research is there for Rutter’s findings?
1. Hodges and Tizard (1989): Children adopted into loving homes showed better social/peer outcomes than those returned to birth families.
2. Goldfarb (1947): Compared institutionalised vs. fostered children — fostered children had higher IQ and better social skills.
100
What is the Internal Working Model (IWM)?
According to Bowlby, infants develop a schema based on attachment to their primary caregiver. This schema acts as a template for future relationships, determining if people can be trusted or if relationships are loving.
101
What is the Continuity Hypothesis?
It suggests that an individual’s future relationships will follow a pattern based on their Internal Working Model (IWM), including childhood friendships, adult partnerships, and parenting relationships.
102
What do Hazan and Shaver argue about adult relationships?
They argue that an adult’s relationship type is a continuation of their infant attachment style, classified into Ainsworth’s types: secure, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant.
103
What is Bowlby’s theory on Maternal Deprivation?
Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory suggests that children who suffer disruption with their primary caregiver during the critical period will experience problems with social, emotional, and intellectual development.
104
What did Hazan and Shaver (1987) find in their 'Love Quiz' study?
620 participants completed a love quiz assessing their adult relationship types and childhood attachment types. Found that 56% had secure relationships, 25% were avoidant, and 19% were anxious.
105
What did McCarthy (1999) study reveal about early attachment?
Studied 40 women assessed in infancy for attachment style. Securely attached women had strong adult friendships and romantic relationships, while avoidant and resistant infants had poor relationships.
106
What did Myron-Wilson (1998) find regarding bullying and parental attachment?
Assessed 196 nine-year-olds for bullying and victimhood, finding that bullies had low parental warmth and high parental punitiveness, while victims scored highly on parental punitiveness.
107
What did Verissimo (2011) discover about fathers and children's friendships?
Studied preschool children’s attachment to fathers and later friendships, finding that a strong attachment to the father was the best predictor of making friends in school.
108
What are the practical applications of early attachment research?
Helps schools support children’s Internal Working Models (IWM), reducing bullying and promoting mental health, potentially reducing divorce rates and mental health issues linked to relationship breakdown.
109
What is a limitation of correlational research in early attachment studies?
Much research is correlational, meaning no clear cause-and-effect can be established, as other variables may influence both childhood attachment and later adult relationships.
110
What is a limitation of self-reporting in attachment studies?
Many studies rely on retrospective self-reports about infant attachment, reducing validity due to memory distortions or social desirability bias.
111
What is Kagan’s Temperament Hypothesis?
It suggests that infant and adult relationships are based on inherited biological temperament, not early attachments, linking behavior to biology rather than the Internal Working Model.
112
What is a criticism of the Continuity Hypothesis?
It is highly deterministic, suggesting individuals are doomed to repeat the types of relationships they had as infants, which contradicts the belief in conscious control over relationships.
