Attachment- AO1 (AS Paper 1) Flashcards
What is an attachment
A close emotional relationship between 2 people, characterised by mutual affection and desire to maintain proximity.
What is Reciprocity and give an example
2 way or mutual response that does not involve mirroring.
Example: Caregiver might sing and the baby will smile and clap along, the parent responds by continuing to sing.
What study suggests reciprocity
The still faced study
This is when the parent/caregiver and the 1 year old Abby face each other. They interact with each other (mother responds to the babies alert phase). They both laugh and use hand movements. The mother doesn’t respond for 2 minutes and the babies behaviour changes. The baby tried to regain mothers attention by kicking, crying, screaming and pointing. Once the 2 minutes are up, the mother responds again and the baby immediately stops crying.
What is interactional synchrony
When 2 people, such as infant and caregiver, interact and mirror each other
Interactional synchrony study
A baby (with a dummy in mouth to prevent facial response) watches an adult model pull a funny face. When the dummy is removed the child’s expressions were filmed and the baby mirrored the caregiver. Due to the child being so young and displaying mirroring it suggests that behaviour is not learnt but it is innate
Schaffers 4 stages of attachment
1) Asocial stage- 0-2months. They have no preference to 1 individual and anyone can provide comfort.
2) Indiscriminate stage- 2-6 months. They develop the ability to determine familiar and unfamiliar individuals.
3) Discriminate stage- 6-12 months. Strong attachment to 1 individual and develop stranger and separation anxiety.
4) Multiple attachment stage- 12 months+ stranger anxiety decreased and forms multiple attachment to regular caregivers.
Stages of attachment study
Glasgow babies
60 babies were involved( 31 male and 29 female) all from working class families. Researchers visited their house every month for the first 12 months of their life and once again at 18 months. And the mothers were interviewed during this tome.
Role of the father Schaffer and Emerson findings and research
Fathers are less likely to become a babies primary/first attachment.
3% of cases father becomes primary caregiver.
27% of cases father becomes joint primary caregiver
At 18 months, 75% of infants have formed an attachment with their father.
Role of the father Grossman research and findings
Less emotional and more physical role.
Longitudinal study took place and results showed that children who had a strong attachment with mother= stinger relationships. Whereas the father had no impact.
Hormones can affect attachments
Male- Testosterone= more aggressive
Female- Oestrogen= more caring
Lorenz study on animals
Lorenz tested imprinting on birds.
He used geese eggs that were randomly split into 2 groups. Control group (hatched with mother) Experimental group (hatched with Lorenz). Once the geese hatched they imprinted on the first moving thing that they saw. Lorenz repeatedly watched this to find out the critical period was 0-30 hours and 16 was the most effective. Both groups were mixed in a box and when released they still followed the thing that had imprinted onto. The reason Lorenz did this was because his neighbours gave him a chick when he was younger who imprinted onto him.
Harlows study on animals
He studied into attachment of monkeys
He separates the monkeys from their biological mothers where he put them in a cage with 2 substitute mothers. 1) A metal mother with food. 2) A cloth mother with no food. The monkeys spent less than an hour a day on the wire monkey and around 17-18 hours on the cloth monkey. Using a robot, Harlow scared the baby monkeys and they ran to the cloth mother suggesting that it provides more safety then the wire mother implying they have formed an attachment.
Learning Theory
(Dollard and Miller)
Cupboard love theory- suggests that infants form an attachment to those who feed them.
Classical conditioning- UCS(food) — UCR(pleasure). NS(caregiver) — NR(no response). USC + NS(food+caregiver) — UCR(pleasure). CS(caregiver) — CR(pleasure).
Operant conditioning:
Babies hungry
Baby cries
Caregiver feeds baby
Babies happy
Babies hungry again
Baby cry’s
Bowlbys theory of attachment
5 aspects to his theory (MICES)
Monotropy- lack of this causes a permanent negative social consequence for infants
Internal working model- schemas are formed which is the building blocks for forming relationships
Critical period- of attachment doesn’t form in 2 years, they will struggle to form relationships in adult hood
Evolution- adaptive processes that lead to survival and reproduction
Social releases- babies display a certain behaviour to gain a response from caregiver
The 3 types of attachment and explain them
Secure- (65-75% of Uk babies are secure)
A little separation anxiety, joy upon reunion. Can explore happily in a room while mother is there
Insecure-avoidant (20-25% of Uk babies are avoidant) no separation anxiety, no response upon reunion. Little stranger anxiety.
Insecure-resistance (3% of Uk babies) High levels of separation and stranger anxiety. Anger upon reunion.
Types of attachment study
The strange situation
1) caregiver encourages baby to explore
2)stranger enters the room, talks to caregiver and approaches baby
3)caregiver leaves room (baby and stranger together alone)
4)caregiver returns and baby leaves
5)caregiver leaves room (baby is alone)
6) stranger returns
7) caregiver returns
