Attachment and Human Development Flashcards
What are 4 main properties of attachment behavior?
Discriminating.
Specific.
Reciprocal.
Distress upon separation.
What sense is most important for rats identifying their mothers?
Smell.
What main neurotransmitter mediates imprinting? Others chemicals involved?
Norepinephrine is major player.
Dopamine and oxytocin are also involved.
Is smell the only sense involved in pups forming attachment to mothers?
No. Somatosensory stuff allows pups to orient to mom.
What 2 chemicals are necessary and sufficient for rat mothers to form attachment with pups?
Estrogen and oxytocin. (dopamine’s also important)
What’s causes difference between monogamous and unsociable voles? (note 2 specific areas of brain)
Monogamous (prarie) voles have more oxytocin receptor in the Nucleus Accumbens and Prelimbic Cortex.
What do experiments that make prarie voles act like Montaine voles tell us?
Oxytocin is necessary and (in this context) sufficient for increased attachment / sociability.
Take home point from Harlow’s monkey experiments?
Mother attachment promotes security.
Mother deprived monkeys have difficulty forming attachments later on.
What are 4 necessary conditions for the development of attachment?
Sufficient interaction with caretaker.
Discriminitive abilities of infant. (must know that mom is mom)
Imitative capacities of infant (“mirror neurons”)
Object permanence of caretaker.
4 steps in the cycle of attachment?
Need -> rage reaction -> gratification / relief (with loving behaviors) -> trust.
What’s Phase I of attachment formation? When does it occur (in humans)?
Indiscriminate sociability.
Birth - 2mo.
What’s Phase II of attachment formation? When does it occur?
Attachments in the Making.
2 - 7mo
What’s Phase III of attachment formation? When does it occur?
Clear Cut Attachments.
7 - 24mo
What’s Phase IV of attachment formation? When does it occur?
Goal-Coordinated Partnerships
>24mo
What behaviors characterize Phase I attachment?
Simple behaviors that babies use to interact. (smiling, crying, vocalizing, visual tracking, etc. etc.)
What differentiates the behaviors of Phase II of attachment from those of Phase I? What’s the big picture of Phase II?
More complex interaction.
Infant “assumes more control” of interactions by reaching for things, opening mouth in advance, etc..
Differentiation begins between caretakers and strangers. (more smiling at familiar people).
In Phase II, infant is developing an internal picture of the world.
If a patient cries when a caregiver leaves and stops crying when they see / hear a caregiver approaching, they must be in at least what phase of attachment?
Will be in at least Phase II.
What are 4 characteristics of Phase III of attachment?
Consolidation of attachment to primary caregivers. (crying when strangers approach)
More complex motor, cognition, communication.
Intentional control of attachment behavior.
Person permanence of primary caregiver.
A few typical behaviors of Phase III of attachment?
Using primary caregiver as “secure base” for exploration.
Flight to primary caregiver when scared.
Following primary caregiver.
What’s the Still Face Experiment?
When primary caregiver presents still, unresponsive face to baby, he/she at first tries to attract attention, then gets upset, then despairs. This is all repaired immediately when the primary caregiver starts interacting again.
What infants have abnormal reactions in the still face experiment?
Infants with cognitive delay.
Infants with reactive attachment disorder. (didn’t get enough interaction early on)
What seems to be the worst thing for attachment?
Unpredictable, inconsistent responses from children parents. (e.g. parent that is depressed or abuses drugs)
When is stranger anxiety most present?
6-8mos
When is separation anxiety most present?
10-18mos
