Attachment - Booklet 1

Question 1

define attachment

Answer 1

-a close, two way, emotional bond between two individuals

Question 2

why do we need to form attachments

Answer 2

-emotional security -> social development
-physical + intellectual development

Question 3

which behaviours indicate an attachment

Answer 3

-proximity
-separation distress
-secure-base behaviours

Question 4

define altricial

Answer 4

-babies are born at a relatively early stage of development

Question 5

opposite of altricial

Answer 5

-precocial (born at advanced stage of development eg animals)

Question 6

benefits of meaningful social interactions between babies and carers

Answer 6

-short term = survival
-long term = emotional relationships

Question 7

describe caregiver infant interactions

Answer 7

-key interactions are non verbal
-they form the basis of attachment between an infant and caregiver
-the more sensitive each is to the other’s signals, the deeper the relationship

Question 8

define reciprocity

Answer 8

-when an infant responds to the actions of another person
-they elicit a response from eachother
-turn taking

Question 9

describe reciprocity

Answer 9

-each person responds to each other (caregiver + infant)
-babies signal with social releasers that they are ready to interact
-normally takes 2/3 times for the mother to notice and respond
e.g - smiling back at someone

Question 10

define interactional synchrony

Answer 10

-where an infant mirrors/imitates the same actions of another person, for example their facial expressions and body movements
-they interact in time to sustain communication
-mirroring

Question 11

describe interactional synchrony

Answer 11

-the temporal co ordination of micro level social behaviour
-actions and emotions are mirrored by child and mother and are in time
-a parents speech and infants behaviour become finely synchronised
e.g - infant and caregiver smiling at the same time

Question 12

why did brazleton describe mother-infant interactions as a dance

Answer 12

-both the parent and child can initiate interactions from each other and take it in turns doing so

Question 13

aim of meltzoff and moores study

Answer 13

-systematically study infant caregiver interactions, specifically interactional synchrony

Question 14

procedure of meltzoff and moores study

Answer 14

-controlled observation
-adult model displayed one of three facial expressions or hand movements with fingers moving in a sequence
-dummy placed in the infants mouth during initial display to prevent response
-dummy then removed and childs expression was filmed from different angles

Question 15

findings of meltzoff and moores study

Answer 15

-there was an association between the infant’s behaviour and that of the adult model
-infants as young as two to three weeks imitated specific facial and hand gestures

Question 16

conclusion of meltzoff and moores study

Answer 16

-supports interactional synchrony as the infant mirrors the facial and hand gestures as the adult model did so

Question 17

what did isabella find about infant caregiver interactions

Answer 17

-securely attached mother infant pairs had more instances of interactional synchrony
-so interactional synchrony is associated with better quality attachments
-so it occurs due to strong attachments

Question 18

AO3 points about infant caregiver interactions

Answer 18

-its hard to know what’s happening when observing infants
-controlled observations capture fine detail
-observations don’t tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity
-infant caregiver interactions aren’t found in all cultures

Question 19

explain why it is hard to know what is happening when observing infants (AO3 infant caregiver interactions)

Answer 19

-many studies have shown the same pattern of interaction
-but what is observed is only hand movements or changes in expression which are commonly made by babies so may not be deliberate
-behaviour may not have a special meaning as hard to tell from infants perspective if they are conscious or deliberate

Question 20

explain why controlled observations capture fine detail (AO3 infant caregiver interactions)

Answer 20

-well controlled procedures
-mother and infant filmed often from different angles
-fine details of behaviour can be recorded and analysed
-babies don’t know or care they are observed so behaviour does not change (no demand characteristics)
-results are reliable as can rewatch videos

Question 21

explain why observations don’t tell us the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity (AO3 infant caregiver interactions)

Answer 21

-feldman points out synchrony and reciprocity simply describe behaviours that occur at the same time
-these can be reliably observed but it doesn’t tell us the purpose of these caregiver-infant interactions
-lacks internal validity as unsure whether babies mirror the behaviour to interact
-so more research is needed

Question 22

explain why infant caregiver interactions aren’t found in all cultures (AO3 infant caregiver interactions)

Answer 22

-le vine et al reported that kenyan mothers have little physical interactions or contact with their infants, but infants still have a high proportion of secure attachments
-research may be ethnocentric
-so not fully valid in explaining attachments as results of research cannot be generalised to other cultures

Question 23

describe grossman’s research into the role of the father

Answer 23

-longitudinal study
-looked at parent’s behaviour and it’s relationship to quality of children’s attachments into their teens
-quality of infant attachments with mothers related to attachments in adolescence, but not with fathers
-attachment with fathers less important
-but found quality of play is related to quality of attachments as adolescents

Question 24

describe what schaffer and emerson’s research showed about the role of the father

Answer 24

-found babies become attached to their mother first (7 months)
-within a few weeks/months formed secondary attachments
-in 75% of their studies attachment formed with father at 18 months
-shown by infants protesting when their father walked away

Question 25

describe field's research into role of the father

Answer 25

-filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interactions with -primary caregiver mothers -secondary caregiver fathers -primary caregiver fathers -found that primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers, strengthening attachments -attachment relationship related to responsiveness not gender as the father can take on nurturing role as primary caregiver

Question 26

describe research into how age and gender affects role of the father

Answer 26

-freeman et al found male children are more likely to prefer their father than female children -children more likely to be attached to fathers during late childhood to early adolescence -infants and young adults less likely to seek attachment to their fathers

Question 27

describe research into how temperament affects role of the father

Answer 27

-manlove et al found fathers are less likely to be involved with their infant if the infant has a difficult temperament

Question 28

AO3 points about role of the father

Answer 28

-socially sensitive research -inconsistent findings -research may lack temporal validity -children without fathers are no different so how do fathers have a distinct role? -research has led to social changes -economic consequences

Question 29

explain the role of the father having socially sensitive research

Answer 29

-children without fathers are no different from those with which suggests the father's role is secondary -ethical issue as: -can be interpreted that fathers are less important -father may interpret himself as secondary to the mother and step back

Question 30

explain research into the role of the father having inconsistent findings

Answer 30

-different researchers are interested in different questions: roles as secondary attachment figures roles as primary attachment figures -some have seen fathers with a distinct role from mothers -some have seen fathers take on a maternal role

Question 31

explain research into the role of the father lacking temporal validity

Answer 31

-can be outdated due to social changes -so doesn't take into account modern family dynamics -so cannot be generalised

Question 32

explain the question of 'if fathers have a distinct role, why aren't children without fathers different?' being a limitation of role of the father research

Answer 32

-maccallum and golombok found growing up in single/same sex parent families does not cause different development -suggesting the father's role as a secondary attachment figure is not important

Question 33

explain a counter argument for the question of 'if fathers have a distinct role, why aren't children without fathers different?' being a limitation of role of the father research

Answer 33

-grossman found that fathers as secondary attachment figures had important roles in development

Question 34

explain how research into the role of the father has led to social changes

Answer 34

-paternity leave as research has shown fathers can be primary caregivers -same sex adoption as children in these families have no developmental delay

Question 35

explain how research into the role of the father has positive economic consequences

Answer 35

-fathers being told they can be the primary caregiver might make them stay at home more, allowing women to work, growing the economy -child going to nursery allows economic growth as nursery is paid for, and parents can go to work

Question 36

explain a counter for research into the role of the father having positive economic consequences

Answer 36

-fathers staying at home more means working less so economy declines

Question 37

aim for schaffer and emerson's research

Answer 37

-to investigate the formation of early attachments, in particular the age they are developed, their emotional intensity and to whom they are directed

Question 38

describe procedure for schaffer and emerson's research

Answer 38

-longitudinal study -60 glasgow infants (5-23 weeks at start) -from working class homes -visited every 4 weeks for the first year, then returned when infant was 18 months -studied in own homes 1.interactions with caregivers observed 2. caregivers interviewed (self report) 3. mothers asked to keep a diary (self report) of infant response to separation in 7 everyday situations eg left alone in a room 4. researchers directly observed stranger anxiety by approaching them

Question 39

results of schaffer and emerson's research

Answer 39

-attachment develops in 4 stages -attachments form first with a primary attachment figure -then multiple attachments develop -father was main attachment figure in 3% of infants

Question 40

conclusion of schaffer and emerson's research

Answer 40

-attachments were most likely to form with who responded accurately to baby's signals, not who they spent most time with (sensitive responsiveness)

Question 41

name the 4 stages of attachment identified by schaffer and emerson

Answer 41

1. asocial 2. indiscriminate 3. specific 4. multiple

Question 42

describe the asocial stage of attachment

Answer 42

-0-6 weeks -no preference between humans and physical objects, settled with either

Question 43

describe the indiscriminate stage of attachment

Answer 43

-6 weeks- 6 months -preference to humans -like familiar humans but no stranger distress

Question 44

describe the specific stage of attachment

Answer 44

-7 months- 9 months -intense attachment with primary attachment figure -stranger and separation anxiety high -primary attachment figure is who responds to the baby's signals with most skill (usually mother)

Question 45

describe the multiple stage of attachment

Answer 45

-10-11 months -form secondary attachments with other familiar people e.g grandparents, fathers -slight separation anxiety to these people -when upset still go to specific primary attachment figure

Question 46

AO3 evaluation points for research methodology for schaffer and emersons research

Answer 46

-limited sample -environment of research -longitudinal design -self report

Question 47

AO3 evaluation points for stages of attachment for schaffer and emersons research

Answer 47

-cultural differences -problems studying asocial stage -problems measuring multiple attachment

Question 48

explain why the sample is a limitation in schaffer and emerson's study

Answer 48

-same area (glasgow) -same social class -done in 60s -cultural bias -as may have different opportunities -lacks temporal validity -as social changes have occured since then -so cannot be generalised

Question 49

explain why the environment of research in schaffer and emersons study was a strength

Answer 49

-carried out in own homes -caregivers interviewed -mothers kept a diary of infant's response to separation -so high ecological validity -good external validity as natural environment = natural behaviour

Question 50

explain why the longitudinal design was a strength of schaffer and emerson's research

Answer 50

-followed over extended period of time -able to observe changes in environment -more reliability in observing stages of attachment -same child observed so no individual differences so high internal validity

Question 51

explain a counter to why the longitudinal design was a strength of schaffer and emerson's research

Answer 51

-time consuming so people more likely to drop out -takes a while to repeat -cross sectional designs take less time - children at each age viewed

Question 52

explain why self report is a limitation of schaffer and emerson's research

Answer 52

-stages based on observations and self report data from caregivers rather than researchers -subjective interpretation -socially desirable answers so may be invalid answers

Question 53

explain why there are problems studying the asocial stage

Answer 53

-babies this young have poor coordination and are generally almost immobile -difficult to make judgements based on observations as not much to observe -evidence cant be relied on as baby's feelings and cognitions may actually be highly social

Question 54

explain why cultural differences are a limitation of the stages of attachment

Answer 54

-not applicable to all cultures -scotland has an individualist culture -but some cultures have multiple caregivers as the norm so multiple attachment stage is earlier (collectivist cultures) -so cannot be generalised

Question 55

explain why there are problems measuring multiple attachment

Answer 55

-bowlby pointed out children have playmates as well as attachment figures so can become distressed when they leave -schaffer and emerson's observations can't distinguish behaviour between secondary attachment figures and playmates