Attachment Flashcards
(86 cards)
What is meant by the term interactional synchrony
Adults and babies respond in time to sustain communications. Interactions are timed perfectly almost as though there were one. Infants move in the rhythm of the careers spoken language.
What is meant by the term reciprocity
The idea of turn taking interactions. Interaction flows both ways between adult and infant. For example when mum smiles and a baby smiles back. Resulting in mutual behaviour
Outline which study demonstrates that babies are capable of care giver interactions such as interactional synchrony and reciprocity
Meltzoff and Moore 1977
Found children as young as three weeks old imitated specific facial and hand gestures.
Controlled observation were they used adult models to demonstrate a sequence of facial expressions and hand gestures to a child whilst they had a dummy placed in there mouth meaning they couldn’t respond. After the sequence had been performed the dummy was removed. Observers recorded all instances of tong protrusions and head movement. All scored were greater than 0.92
Evaluate meltzoff and moores study of care giver interactions
Issues with the reliability of the study, expressions that are tested are recorded occur quite frequently so it’s difficult to distinguish between general activity and specific imitated behaviour. Koepke et al failed to replicate the findings however meltzoff and Moore argue that’s because there study wasn’t controlled.
However the study demonstrates intra and inter observer reliability- fact reliable
Which study supports the idea of interactional synchrony and how ?
Meltzoff and Moore 1977 demonstrated the same synchrony on a 3 day old infant. The fact that infants as young as 3 days old was displaying the behaviour would rule out the possibility that imitation is learnt it would In Fact seem that behavioural response is innate. Suggesting that we are born with a desire to synchronise and supporting nature.
What does brazelton suggest about reciprocity
He suggests that this basic Rhythm is an important stage to later communication. The sensitivity to infants behaviour lays the foundation for later attachment between caregiver and infant.
What was troniks study on reciprocity
Tronik asked mothers who have been enjoying a dialogue with their baby to stop moving and maintain a static unsmiling expression. They found that the babies would try tempt there mother into reacting by smiling and baby’s soon became puzzled and distressed when they did not get a reaction. Showing that babies expect a concordat response.
What did abravanel and DeYong 1991 study on infant sensitivity laying the foundation of later attachment consist of
They observed infants behaviour when interacting with 2 objects. They found that infants aged of 5 to 12 weeks made little response to the object, concluding that infants do not just imitate anything there imitation is in fact a specific social response to other humans, suggesting that this care giver interaction is a basis for us forming attachment with humans.
What is attachment
An enduring two way emotional tie to a specific person. Normally between a parent and child, this develops in set stages within a fairly set timescale.
What where the two characteristic that Schaffer and Emerson looked for which indicated whether an attachment had been made?
Stranger anxiety- showing stress when near an unfamiliar person- indicates that they can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people
Separation protest- if they cry and show distress when separated from their attachment figure.
What was the procedure in Schaffer and emersons study of the Glasgow babies
Longitudinal study. Overt observation over a 2 year period. 60 infants from working class backgrounds in Glasgow.The infant was observed every4 weeks until they was 1, and then again at 18 months. At the start the youngest infant was 5 weeks and the oldest was 23 weeks.
They measured attachment in two ways.
Using the separation protest in seven everyday situation. For instance the infant was left alone in a room, with others after being held by an adult.
They second way of measuring was using stranger anxiety, at the beginning of the research the research approached the infant and recorded how long it would be until the infant starter to whimper.
What where the finding of Schaffer and Emerson in the Glasgow babies study
- Half of the children showed their first specific attachment between 6-8 months
- They where large individual difference in the intensity of attachment. Those who where intensely attached tend to have mothers who responded quickly offering the child the most interaction however infants with weaker attachment tend to have mothers who didn’t interact
- Multiple attachment- soon after making one main attachment infants became attached to others. Be 18 months very few 13% were only attached to one person. 31% was attached to at least 5 other set father, grandparents. In 65% of infants the mother was there main form of attachment and in the other 30% the mother was first joint object of attachment.
- In 39% of cases the person who bathed, and changed the child was not the the main attachment, even if the mother did not perform these tasks they was still the child’s main attachment.
What did Schaffer refine as the 4 stages of attachment in the Glasgow babies study
Pre- attachment stage (birth to 3 months) infant becomes attracted to other humans, preferring them to objects, demonstrated by a smile. Indiscriminate stage (3 months- 7/8 months) infants start to become discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar faces. But still let stranger handle them . Discriminate phase-( 7/8 months- 9 months) infants begin to develop specific attachments and become distressed when separated from them, they avoid unfamiliar faces and protest if strangers handle them. Multiple attachment stage- (9 months onwards) infants begin to make multiple attachments with other caregiver. The fear of strangers weaken but the bond between the mother remains strong.
What is an advantages of Schaffer and Emersons Glasgow babies study being longitudinal
The study was longitudinal meaning they studied the same participants for a long period of time other than a one of study with 60 children between 5 weeks and 2 years. This cancelled out participant variables acting as extraneous variables and confounding the results. This allows more valid results as any comparisons across time are made with the same participants
How can Schaffer and Emersons study of the Glasgow babies be criticised
The mothers had to do some of the recording themselves therefore they may record the behaviour of there child at separation and during stranger anxiety in a socially desirable way. Furthermore the mothers may not of had time to record the data at the time it occurs so record it later, this would mean the data would fail to be accurate and would reduce the validity of the research. 60 working class infants of Glasgow means the sample is not representative of the wider population, this makes the study lack population validly, people from other cultures may treat there children differently meaning the finding may have different in a different sample group.
How does rutter challange bowlbys idea of monotrophy
Rutter 1995 challenged bowlby and argues that all attachments figures are equivalent. He believes all attachments are integrated to produce an infants attachment type. Combining to form a child’s internal working model ( how they carry out attachments when there older )
Why may it be argued that children with multiply attachments are at an advantage
As they are more able to form and conduct social relationships as they have the experience to do so and so if a child loses an attachment figure they have several others to turn to.
What did Schaffer and Emerson find about fathers and why may this be inaccurate
They found fathers were less likely to be a primary attachment figure. However this research was carried out in the 1960s when mothers where less likely to work outside the home. Today fathers take a more active role are are much more likely to be the first attachment figure than in the 1960s
How would ramchandani et al argue that fathers are important to infants when growing up.
He would suggest that fathers who are more positively engaged with there infants at the age of 3 months have fewer behavioural problems at the age of 12 months. Suggesting that the parent child interaction in the early post natal period may be beneficial to the child’s behaviour later on in life.
How could it be argued that fathers are just not psychologically equipped for intense attachments
Because they lack the emotion sensitivity that women offer. This may be due to biological and social factors. The female hormone oestrogen underlies caring behaviour in women. So woman are generally more oriented towards interpersonal goals than men.
What is the fundamental principle of bowlbys theory
That attachment is innate and adaptive process for infants and parents and provides an evolutionary perspective. Attachment behaviour has evolved and endured because it promotes survival and reproduction as proposed by Dawkins the sort of evolution.
How does attachment promote survival
- Safety- the desire to maintain proximity ensures the infants safety
- Emotional relationships- attachments enables the infant to learn how to form and and conduct healthy emotional relationships it provides us with an ‘internal working model’ a set of conscious and unconscious rules and expectations regarding are relationship with others
- secure base for exploration- exploration is a fundamental for cognitive developments
What were Bowlbys 4 claims
- attachments are adaptive within a CRITICAL PERIOD
- attachment behaviours are prompted by SOCAIL RELEASERS
- children form relationships ( MONOTROPY) which there main caregiver, usually their mother
- attachments form an INTERNAL WORKING MODEL or schema for future relationships
What does bowlby mean by ‘critical period’
Implies that a aspect of development had to take place during a set period of time otherwise it won’t take place at all
Similar to imprinting in animals it is innate, biologically driven process
The critical period ends between 1-3 so if it’s not formed by then then the child will never be able to form one