Attachment

Question 1

What’s an attachment ?

Answer 1

A close two-way emotional bond between two individuals in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security

Question 2

What’s sensitive responsiveness ?

Answer 2

Caregivers ability to perceive, interpret and appropriately respond to an infants signals, emotions and needs

Key aspect of secure attachment

Question 3

What’s interactional synchrony ?

Answer 3

The coordinated rhythmic exchange between caregiver and infant where both parties match each others behaviours and emotions

Question 4

What’s reciprocity ?

Answer 4

Give and take dynamic in interactions between the caregiver and child

Reflects the idea of back and forth communication that is responsive to each others behaviours

Question 5

How do babies’ periodic alert phases appear to relate to reciprocity and turn taking ?

Answer 5

Babies signal that they’re ready for a spell of interaction

Research by Feldman and Eidelman found mothers typically pick up on and respond to their baby’s alertness around 2/3 of the time

Although this varies according to skill of the mother and external factors such as stress (Finegood et al)

Question 6

What was Meltzoff and Moore’s research on interactional synchrony ?

Answer 6

Supports idea of I.S is important for developing attachment

• Observed beginnings of I.S in babies as young as 2 weeks old
• They sourced an independent observer who wasn’t aware of aims of study, to judge infant behaviour on film
• Adult displayed one of three facial expressions
• Babies response was filmed and labelled by independent observer
• Babies gestures were more likely to mirror those of adults more than chance would predict (significant association)

Question 7

What was Condon and Sander’s research about interactional synchrony ?

Answer 7

Support idea of I.S is important for developing attachment

• analysed frame by frame video recordings of infants movement to find they coordinated their actions in sequence with adults’ speech

Question 8

Why is interactional synchrony important for attachment ?

Answer 8

Isabella et al:

• observed 30 mothers and babies tighter and assessed the degree of synchrony
• also assessed the quality of mother-baby attachment
• found high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother baby attachment

Question 9

What was Le Vine et al research about ?

Answer 9

Goes against international synchrony and that it’s not in every culture

• reported that Kenyan mothers have little physical contact or interactions with their infants, but such infants do have high proportion of secure attachment

Question 10

What’re some strengths for carer-infant interactions ?

Answer 10

Observations were often recorded which is beneficial for inter rater reliability

Observations usually conducted in controlled conditions increasing internal validity and reliability and helps capture micro-sequences of research

Question 11

What’re some weaknesses of carer-infant interactions ?

Answer 11

Difficult to interpret baby behaviour as they lack coordination and we can’t be certain micro and macro movement have specific meaning so we rely on inference and assuming intentionally

There’re ethical implications in studying children and in addition the implications on parents or working mothers could be socially sensitive

Question 12

Outline the research on stages of attachment by Schaffer and Emerson

Answer 12

PROCEDURE:
- 60 babies (31 male, 29 female) from Glasgow and from skilled working class families
- Researchers visited babies and mothers in their homes every month for first year and again at 18 months (longitudinal study)
- Researchers asked mothers questions abt the kinda protest their babies showered in 7 everyday separations
- designed to measure baby attachment

Question 13

What’re the 4 stages of attachment ?

Answer 13

Asocial stage
Indiscriminate stage
Specific attachment
Multiple attachment

Question 14

What does the asocial stage of attachment consist of ?

Answer 14

0-6 weeks
Behaviour to humans and inanimate objects are similar

Question 15

What does indiscriminate stage of attachment consist of ?

Answer 15

2-7 months
Baby has no stranger or separation anxiety
Prefer interaction with humans instead of inanimate objects

Question 16

What does the specific stage of attachment consist of ?

Answer 16

7-9 months
Specific preference to one individual
Has stranger and separation anxiety

Question 17

What does the multiple stage of attachment consist of ?

Answer 17

10 months and onwards
Baby form several attachments

Question 18

What’re some research that goes against Schaffer and Emerson’s idea on stages of attachment ?

Answer 18

BOWLBY:
- believe that children had 1 primary attachment figure and any other attachments after that were minor significance

CARPENTER:
- found that 2 week old babies showered distress after being shown mothers face followed by someone else’s voice. Shows that babies recognise and are attached to their mothers faces from a very early age

VAN IJZENDOON:
- believe that babies form multiple attachments from the outset

Question 19

What’s the distinctive role for fathers in a child’s attachment ?

Answer 19

Provide stimulating, playful interactions and fostering exploration and risk taking behaviours while also being secondary attachment figure that supports the child’s cognitive, emotional and social development

Question 20

What was the study done by Grossmann et al which supports the idea of father’s distinctive role in child’s attachment ?

Answer 20

• longitudinal study of 44 families comparing role of mothers and fathers contribution to their children’s attachment experiences at 6,10 and 16 years
• Fathers play style was closely linked to the fathers’ own internal working model of attachment
• quality of baby attachment to their mother, but not their father, was related to their attachment in adolescence
• play sensitivity was a better predictor of the child’s long term attachment representation than the early measures of attachment types that the infant had with their father

Suggests that attachment to fathers is less important than attachment to mothers but also that fathers have a different role from mothers - one that’s more to do with pmay and stimulation and less to do with emotional development

Question 21

What study studied fathers may not have distinct role to play as secondary attachment figure ?

Answer 21

McCallum and Golombok

Showed consistently that these children don’t develop differently from children in two parent heterosexual families

Question 22

Give research that supports fathers as attachment figures:

Answer 22

FEILD:
- filmed 4 month old babies face to face interactions with primary caregiver mother and father
- found primary father spent more time smiling, imitating and holding baby then secondary attachment fathers

LAMB:
- father who become mean attachment figure can quickly develop more sensitivity to child’s needs suggesting sensitive responsiveness isn’t biological ability limited to women

Question 23

Give research against fathers as attachment figures:

Answer 23

HRDY:
- found that fathers are less able than mothers to detect low levels of infants distress suggesting that males are less suitable as prime attachment figures

Question 24

What’re the positive impacts of research on the role of the father on the economy ?

Answer 24

• encourages shared parental leave allowing fathers to take time off work. This results in healthier family dynamics and better developmental outcomes for children, potentially reducing future economic burden related to mental health or social issues
• Children with secure attachment often show better social and emotional development which can translate into higher educational attainment and economic productivity later in life

Question 25

What’re the negative effects of research in the role of the father on the economy ?

Answer 25

- policies like paid paternity leave may initially increase costs for businesses or governments, E.g organisations may need to cover roles temporarily or provide financial support during leave periods - encouraging fathers to take more active role could be challenging in cultures or industries with rigid gender roles. Resistance could hinder the full economic benefits of such policies

Question 26

What’s imprinting ?

Answer 26

Bird species mobile from birth attach and follow first moving object they see

Question 27

What’s contact comfort ?

Answer 27

Physical and emotional comfort infants receive from being in physical contact with primary caregiver

Question 28

What was Lorenz’s research ?

Answer 28

- Divided large batch of greylag goose eggs into two batches - Half the eggs were hatched with mother goose in natural environment - Half the eggs were hatched in an incubator where the first moving thing they saw was Lorenz

Question 29

What did Lorenz find about attachment from this procedure ?

Answer 29

Incubator group follows him round everywhere whereas control group (the ones hatched with the mother) followed her around All geese marked to know which condition they were in, then an upturned box placed on them then removed When released from box all those who were incubated went straight o Lorenz and those naturally hatched went to mother goose Bonds orbed to be irreversible

Question 30

What did Lorenz find about imprinting from his procedure ?

Answer 30

Identified a critical period (4-25hrs) in which imprinting needs to occur if it doesn’t occur chicks suits attach themselves to a mother figure

Question 31

What research goes against the idea of Lorenz and imprinting ?

Answer 31

SLUCKIN: - isolated one ducking in darkness for 5 days (beyond Lornez’s critical period) - found it was still possible to imprint and suggested a sensitive period instead

Question 32

What research goes against the idea of explanations of attachment ?

Answer 32

Harlows study on monkeys: Monkey only went to mother that fed food when it was hungry but spent most of the time on the clothed mother shows food has no importance for attachment Lorenz study on geese: Found that geese imprinted before they was fed

Question 33

What is monotropy ?

Answer 33

Great emphasis on a child’s attachment to one caregiver the mother

Question 34

What is law of continuity ? (Bowlby monotropy)

Answer 34

The more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better quality of their attachment

Question 35

What is the law of accumulated separation ? (Bowlby monotropy)

Answer 35

The effects of every seperation from the mother add up - safest diss is zero dose.

Question 36

What’re social releasers ? (Bowlby monotropy)

Answer 36

Innate behaviours (crying, smiling, cooing) that elicit caregiving responses from adults

Question 37

What’s internal working model ? (Bowlby monotropy)

Answer 37

An individuals Mental representation of how future attachment should be like based on their attachment with primary caregivers

Question 38

What research supports the idea of social releasers ? (Bowlby monotropy)

Answer 38

BRAZELTON ET AL: - provides strong empirical support - strength because it demonstrates that infant social behaviours aren’t just random but serve as crucial biological function in eliciting caregiving - Brazelton obsevrred babies reactions to when caregiver ignored their social releasers - found some beams distressed, passive, curdled up, motionless - therefore strengths Bowlby’s theory by providing real life evidence. That attachment behaviours aren’t biological programmed.

Question 39

What research supports idea of internal working model ? (Bowlby monotropy)

Answer 39

BAILEY ET AL: - provide empirical support - strength because demonstrates that attachment patterns are passed across generations - e.g Bailey et al studied 99 mothers and their 1yr old babies - found mothers who had poor attachment with own caregiver more likely to have children with insecure attachment

Question 40

What’s proximity seeking ?

Answer 40

Infants inclination to seek closeness to caregiver particularly in moments of stress and unfamiliarity

Question 41

What’s separation anxiety ?

Answer 41

Level of distress shown by infant when away from caregiver

Question 42

What’s stranger anxiety ?

Answer 42

Infants response to presence of stranger typically distress

Question 43

What’s respond to reunion ?

Answer 43

How baby responds to being reunited with caregiver after a short period of time

Question 44

Outline Ainsworth’s Strange situation:

Answer 44

1. Child and caregiver enter unfamiliar room 2. Child encouraged to explore (test secure base) 3. Stranger comes and tries to interact with child (test stranger anxiety) 4. Caregiver leaves child alone with stranger (test separation and stranger anxiety) 5. Caregiver returns and stranger leaves (tests reunion behaviour) 6. Caregiver leaves (tests separation anxiety) 7. Stranger returns (test stranger anxiety) 8. Caregiver return and is reunited with child (test reunion behaviour)

Question 45

What were Ainsworths findings regarding secure based (type b) attachment ?

Answer 45

- 70% of children from observation were securely attached - children explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver - shows moderate separation distress and stranger anxiety - accept comfort from caregiver in reunion stage

Question 46

What were Ainsworths findings on insecure avoidant (type a) attachment ?

Answer 46

- 15% of children were insecure avoidant - they don’t seek proximity or show secure based behaviour - little to no reaction when caregiver leaves and no effort when they return - little stranger anxiety

Question 47

What were Ainsworth’s findings on insecure resistant (type c) attachment ?

Answer 47

- 15% of children were this type - seek greater proximity so explore less - high level of separation and stranger anxiety and resit comfort in reunion

Question 48

What’re the strengths of Ainsworth’s strange situation ?

Answer 48

Controlled observation: - increase internal validity by minimising extraneous variables and supports reliability as replication is more likely as procedure is highly standardised

Question 49

What’re the weaknesses of Ainsworth’s strange situation ?

Answer 49

Lack population validity: - American, middle class infants and parents aren’t representative of all infants/parents so uses an imposed etic as test is culturally bound Controlled observation may lack ecological validity

Question 50

What is cultural variations ?

Answer 50

Differences in attachment styles across cultures, influenced by child rearing practices and societal values

Question 51

What was the aim of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg ?

Answer 51

Conduct meta analysis to look at proportion of attachment types in diff countries Also to look at differences within same countries to get and idea of variations within a culture.

Question 52

What was the procedure of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg ?

Answer 52

- 32 studies of where strange situation has been used to investigate proportion of attachment types - 32 studies conducted in 8 countries (15/32 done in USA) - date from these studies subjected to meta analysis whereby results combined

Question 53

What were the findings of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg ?

Answer 53

- in all countries secure based was most common. However is varied form 75% in GB to 50% in China. - insecure resistant least common although proportion ranged from 3% in GB to 30% in Israel - insecure avoidant mostly in Germany and least in Japan - variation in results between studies of same country 150% greater than those between countries