Attachment AO1 Flashcards
What is attachment?
An emotional relationship or bond between two people. Each person seeks closeness with the other and feels more secure in their presence.
What is Reciprocity?
When a child and caregiver respond to each others signals which elicits a response from each other e.g. caregiver responds to babies smile by saying something and then the baby giggles
What research links to Reciprocity?
-Babies have ‘alert phases’ when they signal they are ready for interaction
-Mothers tend to pick up on and respond to alertness 2/3 of the time
-From 3 months this becomes more frequent
-Reciprocity increases
What is Interactional Synchrony?
When the caregiver and infant carry out the same action simultaneously and can be seen in babies as young as 4 months old e.g. actions and emotions are mirrored off each other
What is the research into Interactional Synchrony?
Meltzoff + Moore (1977)
-Adult did one of 3 facials expressions ( tongue out, mouth open and pout)
-Two week old responses filmed
-Their expressions were more likely to mirror the adult than chance would predict
-Babies tended to mimic the actions
What was Schaffer and Emerson Glasgow baby study?
The study involved 60 babies (31 boys and 29 girls) and all were from Glasgow from skilled working-class families. Researchers visited babies and their mothers in their own homes every month for the first year of their life and then again at 18 months. They then asked the mothers questions about separation which was designed to measure the babies attachment. They also assessed stranger anxiety to unfamiliar people.
What are the four stages of attachment?
- Asocial Stage (0-2 months)
- Indiscriminate Stage (2-7 months)
- Specific Attachment (7-9 months)
- Multiple Attachments (10+ months)
What is the Asocial Stage?
Babies behave the same way towards humans and objects. They also prefer to be with other people and tend to show a preference to familiar people. They are also more easily comforted.
What is the Indiscriminate Stage?
Babies display more obvious social behaviors and a clear preference for humans. Prefer company from familiar people but accept affection from anyone.
What is the Specific Attachment Stage?
Show classic signs of attachment towards one particular person and anxiety is directed towards strangers especially when attachment figure is gone. (The specific attachment is not always the most seen but the one who responds to signals.)
What is the Multiple Attachment Stage?
Behavior is extended to multiple attachment figures with those who they regularly spend time with. 29% happened one month after primary but majority by the age of one year.
Research into the role of the father:
Attachment to Fathers
Multiple Attachments- Schaffer and Emerson
- The most basic area is whether babies actually attach to them
- In the studies only 3% of the time the father was the primary attachment
- Babies get more attached in later life than at the start (around 18 months)
Research into the role of the father:
Distinctive role of Fathers
-Whether attachment to fathers holds a specific value in development
-Grosman et al (2002)
-Attachment was studied in babies until they were teens
-More attached to mothers in adolescence
-Fathers role is play and stimulation whereas mothers role is emotional
Research into the role of the father:
Fathers of primary carers
- Primary carers have a specific emotional attachment
- When fathers are primary carers they become more emotionally adept
Animal Studies in Attachment:
Lorenz’s Geese OVERVIEW
- Had half of the eggs next to him and imitated the sound of the mother when they hatched
- Suggests attachment is innate and genetic
- Put all ducklings in a box and allowed them to mix
-Half went to him and half went to the mother goose they had bonded to
Animal Studies in Attachment:
Harlow’s Monkeys OVERVIEW
-Removed baby monkeys and had them choose between a cloth or wire mother
- If frightening stimuli was brought in they would cling to the cloth mother
-Repeated in a new environment and would cling to cloth mother for comfort
What is the Learning Theory?
-Believe that all behavior is learnt
- Sometimes called ‘cupboard love’
- Based on children learn to love whoever gives them food
Classical Conditioning (DIAGRAM IN BOOKLET)
This explains how infants become attached because mothers at the beginning are not significant and dont matter as much. Babies then learn to associate mother with food which caused a happy emotion. Eventually associate mother with happy emotion
What is Operant Conditioning? (DIAGRAM IN BOOKLET)
-We learn through consequences and rewards
-If behavior creates a reward we are more likely to repeat it
Positive Reinforcement: Pleasure added/given
Negative Reinforcement: Something unpleasant taken away/removed
What is Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
-Bowlby rejected the learning theory of attachment
-Bowlby believed attachment was innate as it gives us a survival advantage
-Attachment has evolved to keep young animals safe by ensuring close to care-giver
What is the first part of Bowlbys theory?
Monotropy
What are the details about Monotropy?
-Named this because of childs focus on one caregiver (more important than others)
-The more constant a childs care the better the attachment
-Separations from the mother adds up
What is the second part of Bowlbys theory?
Social Releases
What are the details of Social Releases?
-Babies are born with cute innate behaviors e.g. cooing, grabbing and smiling
-Purpose is to activate adult social interaction so adult can approach the baby
-Reciprocated process and hard wired to attach